Broken
by Wedjat
Summary: Two years after Atem's departure, a detached Yugi has isolated himself from everyone he once cared about. As the darkness within him continues to grow, the only person that can save the lives he puts at risk is no longer in the realm of the living.
1. Chapter 1

**Broken**

**Chapter One**

---

Moonlight shone through a lone window to illuminate the room of Yugi Mutou. The young man was searching his room desperately for something, clothes and various items were strewn about as evidence of his urgency. He was on his hands and knees in his closet tossing his many possessions behind him as he continued to scrutinize every corner of the room. He stood and wormed his fingers through his tri-colored hair, grasping his head in immense frustration. He closed his eyes and sighed deeply.

"Where could I have possibly put it?" He whispered to himself angrily.

He left his closet and moved toward his desk where every Duel Monsters card he owned lay in a messy pile. He frowned at the pile as he tried looking at every card again. _It _has _to be in here somewhere! _Yugi thought frantically. After the last card had been turned over to no avail, he tossed the cards in his hand at the table angrily.

He turned to look out the window, only to get a surprising glimpse of his reflection. Lately Yugi had refused to look in a mirror, so this was a rare and unpleasant sight to behold. Yugi glared at the other Yugi coldly. He reached up and touched his face warily. Two years had made all the difference. For a while his friends had wished that they could somehow have a photograph of _him_, to remember him by. Those comments weren't made anymore. They didn't need a photograph. Yugi was an exact copy.

Yugi turned to the desk and grabbed his Duel Disk. He took one final glance at his reflection, and hurled the device at the window with an angry yell. It cracked all over, Yugi was surprised the Duel Disk hadn't it broken all the way through. Satisfied, Yugi smiled to himself.

Suddenly, the door to Yugi's room burst open and a distraught Solomon Mutou walked in. "What in blazes is going on, Yugi?" He demanded.

Yugi said nothing, he didn't really have to. Solomon took one look at the window and knew what had happened. He shook his head sadly and surveyed the rest of the room. "What did you do to your room?" The old man asked.

Yugi tilted his head to the side as he looked at his grandfather. "My Dark Magician is missing."

Momentarily forgetting about the window, Solomon raised an eyebrow. "But why would that be? You haven't dueled in…" Solomon stopped himself.

Yugi's jaw visibly clenched. He closed his eyes and nodded slowly. "Two years."

Yugi opened his eyes again to see that his grandfather was obviously uncomfortable. Yugi chuckled. "Go to bed grandpa."

Solomon shook his head emphatically. "No, Yugi, we need to talk. We've needed to talk about this for a while. You haven't been the same since-"

Yugi's eyes flashed angrily. "I don't _want _to talk about it."

Solomon's brow creased in concern. "You don't have a choice. You have put your life on hold for two years, you've pushed away your friends, you still haven't applied for college, and you have even given up dueling! You have to do _something_. It's like you don't even care about your life anymore…" Solomon trailed off as he saw Yugi's empty smile return. "That's it. You don't care anymore."

Yugi shrugged. "I don't know if I'd put it that way. If I lose something that matters to me, it hurts like a knife in my chest. But if _nothing_ matters to me, nothing hurts. I won't have to feel anything. My eyes have been…opened." Yugi replied coldly.

Solomon shook away angry tears. "No Yugi, you have been _blinded_!" Solomon yelled. He turned around and left the room, slamming Yugi's door behind him.

Yugi stood frozen in place, staring at the door his grandfather had just left through. His grandfather's rage had surprised him, but it didn't compare to what he felt. Yugi sighed and shook his head. _I need to get out of here, _he thought.

He walked to the cracked window and pushed it ever so slightly with his hand. The glass collapsed and Yugi smiled with satisfaction. He pulled himself through the window and slid down the roof until he was sitting comfortably on the edge. For a long time he just stared up at the night sky in deep thought. Eventually he pushed himself off the roof and reveled in the feeling of falling. It brought the first genuine smile to his lips in a long time.

Yugi stood on the sidewalk and glanced around. His eyes locked onto the top of a very familiar building. He began walking, now sure of where he wanted to be.

--

Seto Kaiba scrawled his signature on yet another batch of the endless paperwork that always seemed to await him in his office. His tired eyes glanced at the massive pile of requests and contracts that still required his attention. He sighed and dropped his pen. He buried his face in his hands and closed his eyes. He massaged his forehead with one hand in an attempt to rid himself of a severe headache.

_This is what my life has become, _Kaiba thought bitterly, _an endless pile of paperwork…_

Kaiba heard the door to his office open, but he didn't bother to look up. It had become a daily routine for Mokuba to come to his office and force him to stop working for the night. He waited patiently for Mokuba to tell him he needed his rest. He waited for his little brother to yell at him for how Kaiba Corp had become his life…but Mokuba's voice never came. No reassuring hand rested on his shoulder, no impatient tapping of a foot reached Kaiba's ear. Just silence.

Kaiba realized at this point that it wasn't Mokuba that was in the room with him. Even then, he was too tired to care.

"Good evening, Kaiba."

Kaiba's eyes opened in surprise. _I know that voice. _"Yugi…? What are you doing here…?" He inquired in a hoarse whisper. Kaiba was too exhausted to turn his rival away.

"Well, I just know how much you love visits from old friends," Yugi replied with a hint of sarcasm.

Kaiba chuckled. He looked up at the man he had grown to respect. A rare smile graced his features.

Yugi approached the desk and looked down into the face of the young CEO. He raised an eyebrow at the sight of Kaiba's exhausted face. "You take workaholic to a whole new level." Yugi mused.

Kaiba clasped his hands together and nodded. "Not everyone has what it takes to do what I do," He replied.

"I see your ego hasn't changed." Yugi chuckled darkly.

Kaiba wasn't offended by the statement, but he _was _surprised by Yugi's attitude. "It's just the truth, Yugi. Now tell me, why are you here? You could be elsewhere with those friends of yours."

Yugi walked past Kaiba's desk and stopped in front of the window behind Kaiba's chair. "We don't exactly contact each other very often."

Kaiba raised an eyebrow. "You finally ditched those losers? Yugi, I'm impressed…and surprised."

Yugi didn't move. He stared out over Domino, admiring how the city looked under the light of the stars. "They're still waiting for me to tell them that I'm okay, that I'm still the boy they knew and loved. I can't do that. I don't need them. I don't need anyone. They wait in vain."

Kaiba was unnerved by this. He watched Yugi's back on shock. _That's not Yugi, _Kaiba thought. _It can't be, Yugi loves his friends more than anything in the world._

Yugi turned around. He chuckled when he noticed Kaiba's surprised expression. "Where is your support now, Seto Kaiba? Haven't you been sporting that speech since we met? You were right this whole time."

Kaiba felt a lump forming in his throat. _He's right, I have_ _been saying that for years…but I never thought Yugi would be this way. _He shook his head. "Don't be like me Yugi. Look at what my life has become," Kaiba gestured toward the massive paper work resting on his desk. "You don't want to be alone. If I didn't have Mokuba as my brother, I would be."

Yugi laughed. It wasn't joyful like laughs normally were, it was cold. Yugi knelt next to Kaiba's chair and looked up into the billionaire's wary face. "I didn't come to you for life advice, in fact, you are the last person that should be giving it," Yugi retorted icily.

Kaiba frowned. "Why _are _you here then?" Kaiba growled.

"You remember my favorite Duel Monsters card, right? The Dark Magician?" Yugi asked.

Kaiba nodded. "Yes, why?"

"It's gone. Get me another one."

Kaiba raised an eyebrow. Yugi Mutou, a boy he had known to be extremely timid, had given him, _Seto Kaiba, _an _order._ "Who do you think you are, Yugi? You might be a skilled duelist, but you have no right giving the likes of me the demeaning task of running errands for you."

Yugi smiled. "Get me that card Kaiba."

Kaiba said nothing as Yugi rose from his knees and walked toward the door. When he reached it, he turned around to look at Kaiba once more. He looked more like the old Yugi might have, the menacing aura about him almost unnoticeable. "Every single one of us is alone in this world, Kaiba." Without another word passing between the two, Yugi left.

Kaiba stared at the door. _I said those exact words to Yugi once. I never thought the roles would be reversed. _Kaiba let his face fall into his hands again. Barely holding onto consciousness, his thoughts lingered on Yugi. _That's not Yugi, it can't be._


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: I changed the scene where Atem leaves a little as you will soon see. I hope you guys don't have a problem with that, it's important to the story. Also, I'm trying to keep everyone as in character as I can, except Yugi of course, so please tell me if I'm not doing that very well. Reviews are very much appreciated!**

**---**

**Chapter Two**

---

"Tristan, don't make me hurt you…" Joey Wheeler growled, holding his fist out in front of him.

Tristan Taylor laughed heartily. "I'm only kidding man…kind of." He ruffled Joey's blonde hair and Joey swatted his hand away in irritation.

Joey crossed his arms over his chest and sighed. "That coffee girl would _definitely _go for a guy like me. Right? Back me up, Téa!" Joey gestured toward a pretty blonde working behind the counter of their favorite coffee shop.

Téa sighed. _This is what I get for having no female friends. _"Oh yes Joey, definitely. If your ego didn't do the trick, I'm sure your _dashing _good looks would seal the deal." The sarcasm in her statement was obvious. She giggled at the expression on Joey's face.

"Well, who needs ya! Yugue would…" Joey stopped dead. _Yugi…_Joey thought sadly.

Téa's giggles ceased and a troubled expression replaced her smile. Tristan's smile had vanished as well.

"That's the big elephant in the room isn't it? We always make the same mistake," Tristan muttered.

Téa looked down at her coffee. "I guess we'll never really get used to the fact that he's not coming back…" Téa fought back tears. "I miss him."

Joey shook his head sadly. "We all do. I wonder what he has been up to."

"I can tell you that."

All three of them looked up in surprise. Seto Kaiba stood next to their table, briefcase in hand.

Joey raised an eyebrow. "What are ya doin' here, Kaiba? And what could you possibly know that we don't?"

Kaiba didn't look happy. His expression was grim to say the least. "Actually, I came here looking for all three of you."

Téa frowned. "Why?"

Kaiba's eyes darted to her. "Yugi came to my office last night. Usually I wouldn't bother in tracking you losers down, but there is something seriously wrong with Yugi. His personality has completely changed, he wasn't friendly or polite, he was cold and intimidating. He spouted off about how he didn't need anyone, that he was perfectly content being alone in the world…and he was somewhat of an ass. He was definitely not the Yugi I had remembered."

The gang sat still, none of them saying a word. Then, Joey had the courage to say what everyone else was thinking: "So basically you're sayin' that he's just like you."

Kaiba glared at Joey. "You should learn your place, mutt. Don't speak to me like that."

Téa stood and frowned at Kaiba. "Don't talk like that to Joey when you know he's right. If what you say is true, which I find hard to believe, then you got the chance to see yourself from the outside…and from the looks of it, you didn't like what you saw."

If looks could kill, Téa would be six feet under. "Look, I took some of my precious time to find you dweebs, and this is how you treat me? I came here to tell you that I'm _concerned _about Yugi. Yes, I admit it, don't give me shit. So excuse me for attempting to do the right thing," Kaiba growled. He turned around and swiftly exited the shop.

"For once," Joey finished Kaiba's sentence.

Tristan elbowed Joey. "Come on, cut the guy a _little _slack, it must've taken a lot to swallow his pride like that and find us."

Téa frowned. "Yeah…maybe it's time we paid Yugi a little visit."

---

Yugi sat at his desk staring at a small pile of envelopes laying on the surface. He sighed as he picked one up and tore it open. He drew out a letter from one of the many colleges that his grandfather had wanted him to consider applying for. He scanned it briefly. There was an option to send for more information, and Yugi saw this as an opportunity to get his grandpa off his back. He opened his desk drawer and moved things around urgently in search of a pen. Instead, his eyes fell on a small cardboard box.

He froze. He had forgotten about putting the box in here, but he did _not _forget what it held:

_*Two Years Ago*_

_Yugi was still. He couldn't move, he could barely even breathe. Atem's back was to him as he prepared to walk through the door that would transport him to the Spirit World. Yugi's heart had fallen into his stomach as he waited for his partner and best friend to leave him forever. His lower lip quivered as he struggled to hold back his tears._

"_Don't go, Pharaoh!" Yugi was surprised to hear himself yelling these words. _

_Atem stopped dead in his tracks. He turned around and gazed at Yugi with sadness evident in his eyes. "Yugi…please don't make me choose. It's time for me to go back to where I belong."_

_Yugi wiped away the stray tears that he had been unable to hold on to. "You belong with me, you're a part of me…" he said, shaking._

_Atem's expression was unreadable. He merely stood there watching Yugi for a moment. "I am confident that we will meet again, partner. Don't mourn me Yugi. Be happy, live your life." Atem smiled sadly at the boy. "I love you Yugi, don't forget that."_

_Without another word, Atem turned around to walk toward the door. Yugi could hear his friends' voices, but he wasn't concentrating on what they were saying. Tears streamed down Yugi's cheeks. "Don't leave me…" Yugi whispered. He turned his back on the door, Atem, and his friends. He saw the Millennium Tablet before him, and his eyes locked onto the very familiar Item he had carried around for years. _

_He heard the door close and felt a part of him being shredded up inside. He bent down and wrapped his fingers around the Millennium Puzzle, hurriedly stuffing it into the duffle back they had brought all the items in. A brief moment later, everything started to collapse around them. Yugi looked up in surprise, noticing Marik Ishtar watching him in confusion. Yugi dismissed that and proceeded to follow everyone out…_

A cool breeze entered his room through the broken window and Yugi shivered, bringing him out of his memories. The unpleasant memory had unnerved him. He angrily ripped the drawer out of his desk and chucked it across the room. The box had fallen out within arm reach of Yugi. Hesitantly, he picked up the box and opened it slowly. The sun reflected off of the familiar gold item as Yugi removed it from the box. He admired it, holding the chain he had attached to it and rotating it around to see the entire Millennium Puzzle. He placed it around his neck and almost smiled because of how familiar and _right _it felt there.

The reason he _didn't _smile was because of what the Puzzle represented; what the Puzzle no longer contained. In truth, the Millennium Puzzle was empty, meaningless in comparison to what it once was. It was now just a memento of his past, a past that had caused Yugi nothing but pain for the past two years.

Yugi squeezed his eyes shut to escape it all, but in the darkness he saw Atem staring back at him. "Don't make me choose Yugi. I said that, didn't I? What I meant to say was, 'Don't make me choose, because I won't choose you.'" Atem told Yugi with a content smile on his face.

Yugi's eyes snapped open. He quickly removed the Puzzle from around his neck and tossed it onto his bed. His face twisted with anger and sadness as he swiftly leapt to his door and tore it open. He raced down the stairs, intent on leaving Domino and his past behind him for good.

When he reached the game shop part of his home, he froze. His eyes widened in surprise at the sight of Téa, Tristan and Joey all waiting for him.


	3. Chapter 3

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**Chapter Three**

---

Yugi quickly recovered from his state of shock. His distant expression returned, and his friends watched him carefully. "Can I help you?" Yugi asked politely.

Joey frowned. "It's good to see ya Yugue…ya look great…" Joey said nervously.

Yugi smirked. "Really? Do you like what I've done with my hair? I think I have one more blonde streak than before…" Yugi replied sarcastically, running a hand through his hair.

Joey looked uncomfortable. He scratched the back of his neck. "Yeah…er…your hair looks great man…"

Tristan shook his head. "I don't think he meant for you to answer."

Téa frowned. "Yugi…I really missed you…"

Yugi's eyes flew to Téa. A distant corner of his heart leapt at the sight of her, but it was buried so deep down that it didn't affect him. He said nothing; he merely stared at her for the longest time.

Eventually, Téa walked over to Yugi and threw her arms around his neck, pulling him close. "Yugi…" she whispered.

Yugi didn't seem to know how to react. His arms stayed limp at his sides, but that corner of his heart cried out even louder after feeling Téa holding on to him. After a little while, he wrapped his arms around her waist hesitantly. He had forgotten how strong his feelings for her had been. He squeezed his eyes shut tight. _No…that's all behind me now. _

"Is it?"

Yugi's eyes flew open and he jumped back from Téa. She eyed him in concern, but he paid her no attention. He whirled around to face the voice that had come from behind him, but there was no one there. He stared at the empty space in disdain.

"Yugi…what's wrong?" Téa asked.

Yugi glanced at her over his shoulder, a frown forming on his face. "Nothing's wrong!" He growled.

Téa closed her eyes sadly. "Okay then…"

Yugi's features softened somewhat at the sight of Téa's sadness. In turn, this weakness he felt angered him. _I don't need anyone! Especially not her! It holds me back to rely on anyone; it _hurts _to rely on anyone…_

"You're fooling yourself, Yugi."

Yugi groaned in agony and balled his hands up into fists. Every time he heard that voice it hurt just a little more… _What is happening to me?! _Yugi thought worriedly. He shook his head and turned around to face the confused and concerned stares of his former friends. The concern and pity etched on their faces angered him even further.

"I don't need this right now. Get out." Yugi commanded icily.

"No, you need us right now man. You might not be able to admit it to yourself, but that doesn't change the fact that you need help to get through this," Joey said softly.

"Get through what exactly? What is it I need help with?" Yugi demanded.

Tristan sighed. "We know you miss him Yugi…we all do."

"You know _nothing_!" Yugi snarled.

Téa looked truly frightened. _I've never seen Yugi like this…he's so torn up that he has forgotten himself…_she thought, barely containing the tears that threatened to spill over.

Joey stepped forward angrily. "Snap out of it, man! Can't you see what you've become? It has been two freakin' years! I know the Pharaoh was a part of you and all, but you need to move on! This is pathetic!"

All three of them gasped as Yugi lunged at Joey. He pinned the shocked blonde to the wall and glared at him. "I'm free without him! I'm free without _all _of you! Don't you know why I haven't come looking for you? I don't need you! I don't _want _you! Leave me the hell alone, you know nothing about me anymore!" Yugi screamed furiously. An emotionless expression replaced his sneer. "You mean _nothing_ to me," he revealed nonchalantly. Joey's eyes glistened with tears that threatened to fall.

"Who are you trying to convince, them, or yourself?" Atem's voice rang out loud and clear. Yugi's grip on Joey's arms tightened in response.

"Stay out of this…" Yugi muttered angrily.

Téa's hurt expression changed into one of confusion. _Who is he talking to?_

Joey ignored it. He glared at Yugi, who seemed to be lost in his thoughts. "I know you don't mean that, Yugue. Deep down, you're still in there, tryin' to break out. When that day comes, you'll know where to find me." He pushed against Yugi violently, catching him off guard. Joey bolted from the store.

Tristan turned to follow Joey out. "Get better man, I know you have it in you. Don't be like Kaiba. No one should be alone in this world." He exited as well.

Yugi was still staring at the wall he had been holding Joey up against just a moment ago. Despite his calm outward appearance, he was frightened underneath. _He's just a figment of my imagination, _Yugi thought. He shut his eyes and rested his forehead against the wall.

Atem chuckled. His face appeared in Yugi's mind, an amused expression on his face. "Am I now? It's funny that you're afraid of something that only exists in your own mind."

Suddenly, Yugi felt a hand on his shoulder. He stiffened at the contact and opened his eyes slowly.

"Yugi…I know the boy I knew is still in there somewhere. I caught a glimpse of him, no matter how small it was, when you held me. I don't care how much you deny it; I will fight to have the boy I love back, no matter what it takes." Téa whispered solemnly.

Yugi raised his head. He felt his heart being pulled apart at the seams. Part of him wanted to hold her, but the overwhelming majority wanted nothing more than to be alone. The desire to be alone was suffocating.

Yugi swallowed hard. "Love…?" He asked with uncertainty.

Yugi could feel Atem smiling. "I knew you cared," he declared triumphantly.

Yugi shrugged off Téa's hand. "Stop…just stop! Get out of my head!" Yugi yelled in pain.

Téa stared at him incredulously as he sprinted outside. She finally gave into the sadness and covered her tear streaked face with her hands. "Oh Yugi…please…come back…"

Yugi raced down the streets, unsure of where he was going. It didn't matter to him; he knew that running away wouldn't allow him to escape the voice in his head. The wind blew his blonde bangs into his eyes as he continued to run as fast as he possibly could. Eventually he slowed down to a stop and fell to his knees in an empty alleyway. "What's…wrong with…me…" Yugi asked himself between breaths. Tears spilled over as he leaned himself up against a wall. "Why can't you just leave me alone…" he whispered.

"You're a part of me. Didn't you say that to me long ago? Well, I guess this isn't the same. I _am _you. You're the one keeping me here."

Yugi buried his face in his hands and yelled: "I _hate _you!"

--

Marik Ishtar tossed and turned in his sleep, sweat streaking down his face. His brow was creased fearfully. Ishizu watched him with immense unease.

_Marik stood in the middle of one of the many streets in Domino City. In front of him, two figures were locked in an intense duel. He couldn't see who they were, they were shrouded in the darkness of the night that surrounded them. Suddenly, a creature Marik would recognize anywhere materialized on the field of play: Slifer the Sky Dragon. _

_Marik gaped at the dragon. "Only one person could possibly have that card…" Marik whispered to himself. "Yugi Mutou…"_

_Sure enough, Yugi's voice boomed through the night, echoing in Marik's ears: "Slifer! Thunder Force attack!"_

_A bright light erupted from the beast's mouth, attacking the other figure directly. Marik correctly assumed that this caused the other figure's defeat. _

_Marik raced to get closer to the event. He ended up at Yugi's side. Yugi didn't seem to sense his presence or maybe he couldn't see him at all. Yugi laughed humorlessly. "So much for 'friendship', right Joey?"_

_Marik glanced at the other figure. Joey Wheeler looked beaten in every sense of the word._

"_Now…the price for your ignorance…" Yugi chuckled darkly. _

_A bright light caught Marik's eye and he turned to face Yugi once more. He gasped as he saw the Millennium Puzzle around his neck. The gold eye appeared on his forehead as well, signaling his use of the Puzzle's power. He reached his hand out toward Joey, and Marik heard a surprised yell coming from his direction. Marik looked at him just in time to see Joey collapse to his knees and fall to the ground face first._

_Marik ran to his side, picking Joey up and shaking him. "Joey! Joey, wake up!" He knew that it was no use. He was very familiar with the dark power of the Millennium Items. He looked up at Yugi. His eyes were no longer the amethyst color he had remembered, but a deep crimson. The glow of the Puzzle faded, as did the symbol on his forehead. Without another word, Yugi turned around and started to walk away._

"_Yugi! Come back, look at what you've done!"_

"Marik! Marik! Brother, wake up! You're dreaming!"

Ishizu's frantic voice woke Marik from his nightmare. His eyes snapped open and he sat upright. He was breathing heavily.

"Ishizu…it wasn't just a dream…I can feel it. It was something more," Marik said sadly.

Ishizu placed a cool hand on his forehead. "A vision? That's strange…but after all we've experienced in our lives, I wouldn't second guess you for a moment, brother."

"It was about Yugi…he is being consumed by darkness. I don't know how, or why, but it's true."

Ishizu nodded. "What else? You need to tell me everything."

"He was dueling Joey Wheeler, his best friend if you recall. He won. Afterward, he used the power of the Millennium Puzzle to trap his soul inside…" Marik looked down at his legs.

Ishizu sighed in relief. "It must've been just a dream then Marik, there's no possible way Yugi could have the Puzzle. It was lost when the Tablet broke and all of the Items fell into that chasm…"

Marik shook his head. "I saw him remove the Millennium Puzzle from the Tablet before it broke."

Ishizu's eyes narrowed. "Why did you allow him to get away with it? _All _of the Items should've been lost for good!"

Marik closed his eyes sadly. "I know sister, it is my fault. I couldn't bring myself to take it away from him; he had just lost a part of his very soul…it felt wrong."

Ishizu sighed and nodded. "I suppose I might've done the same thing. I just find it hard to believe that such a kind-hearted kid could possibly be so dark."

Marik looked up at her. "I know. Joey Wheeler was his closest friend…the one person you would think would be able to get through to him." Marik frowned. "I had that vision for a reason, Ishizu. Somehow, we must stop Yugi…we must save him from himself, and save the lives of those he might target in his rage." He breathed deeply and let it out slowly. "We must do for Yugi what Odion did for me during the Battle City Finals."

Ishizu tilted her head to the side. "If Joey couldn't get through to him, how could we?"

Marik looked down again. "We can't. But I know someone who might."

Ishizu grabbed Marik by the shoulders. "No! We worked too hard to end it like this!"

Marik stared at her, his mind made up. "We have no choice, sister. We must resurrect Pharaoh Atem."


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: This chapter was difficult to write. I wanted to come up with an interesting way to bring back the Pharaoh, but it was really hard to come up with ideas. I hope you guys like this. I initially thought about adding more tests, but ideas just weren't coming to me. Reviews are appreciated as always, and criticism too. If you don't like this chapter, I want to know. Maybe I can think of another way to do it.**

---

**Chapter Four**

---

"The Forbidden Temple of Osiris," Ishizu whispered. From the outside it didn't look like much: a massive mound of sand with an elaborate archway. Two columns supported a peculiarly carved stone that served as the top of the archway. Behind the columns lay a door covered in ancient hieroglyphs.

"Marik, this is insane. This temple was meant as a place for the pharaohs to communicate with the King of the Gods." Ishizu shook her head. "You plan on entering a temple _for _pharaohs to _retrieve _one? It can't be done!"

Marik smirked. "You of all people shouldn't be so quick to lose faith, sister. Come with me. I'll prove you wrong." He walked confidently toward the door.

Ishizu followed her brother hesitantly. _We'll be killed…punished by the Gods…banished to the Shadow Realm…_she shuddered.

When they reached the entrance, Marik ran a hand over the dusty door. "Do you think we should knock, to see if anyone is home?"

Ishizu glared at him. "This is _hardly _a time for jokes, Marik."

He sighed and squinted at the ancient writing. "This temple was meant for pharaohs. But I know something you don't, sister. Which is a new concept…usually you're the one with answers."

Ishizu sighed angrily. "Out with it Marik! This place unnerves me, I don't belong here."

"One may pass, only one. The temple might have been meant for pharaohs, but to judge the worthiness of the pharaohs, an ancient test lies within."

"It doesn't matter, you're no pharaoh."

"Perhaps not, but who is these days? If I'm correct, as long as I pass these 'tests' I should be allowed passage."

"But what if you're wrong, Marik? What if you _do _have to be a pharaoh? Something horrible would happen…I'm sure of it." Ishizu questioned frantically.

"There's only one way to find out."

"No!" Ishizu cried.

"Trust in me. But if I don't succeed, you know someone who might."

Ishizu frowned. "Seto Kaiba, Pharaoh Seto's reincarnation."

Marik nodded. "Precisely…if he would believe you, that is." He chuckled.

Ishizu shook her head. "Is the danger really that great? Is Yugi really that much of a threat? I just don't know if your life is worth this…"

Marik raised an eyebrow. "Think rationally Ishizu. I know you're saying these things because you don't want to lose me…but if what happened to me at Battle City happens to Yugi now, I fear that much more is at stake than the life of a tomb keeper."

Ishizu closed her eyes and breathed in deeply. "You're right. I trust you Marik."

Marik placed his hands on each of her shoulders. "And that's all I ask for."

She opened her eyes and beamed up at him. "Best of luck brother, I know you can do this."

He grinned. "I'll be back. Shall I send your regards to the gods?"

Ishizu shook her head. "Just go. Be careful."

Marik nodded and turned to the door. "Osiris, I seek your counsel! Let me pass and I'll prove my worth!"

The door lurched open, causing Ishizu to jump. Marik pushed the door open further and slipped inside. The door closed behind him, and Ishizu swallowed hard. "Good luck brother…" she whispered.

She stepped toward the door and studied the writing. "Suppressed but not yet forgotten, this test shall reveal what is rotten. Make your way to the end of the hall, then it shall be revealed as nothing at all." She recited from the ancient text. Ishizu scrunched her nose. "What could that possibly mean?"

Inside, Marik was faced with an extremely dark room. He fumbled around searching for the flashlight he had brought with him. Finally wrapping his fingers around it, he quickly switched it on.

He wasn't in a room after all. It was an extremely long hallway. He began walking hesitantly. As calm as he seemed on the outside, underneath he was paranoid over what awaited him.

He heard a whisper behind him. He whirled around, every hair on the back of his neck on edge. Nothing was there. He sighed nervously. Suddenly, he felt hot breath on his neck. A chill ran down his spine…

He turned to face whatever was behind him, but a surprising force struck the arm holding his flashlight. Marik panicked. His heart raced in his chest.

A dark chuckle came from his left. Before he could react, strong hands had pinned Marik's arms to his sides. He struggled to free himself, but it was in vain. The laughter intensified at his feeble attempts.

Marik suddenly felt himself being thrown into the air. He collided with the wall of the hallway. He groaned in pain.

He heard footsteps running at him. Marik was suddenly struck with an idea. When the footsteps disappeared, Marik leapt out of the way. He grinned in satisfaction when he heard a thud and an angry snarl.

Marik felt around the ground frantically for his flashlight. He heard the footsteps return, and he quickened his search. His fingers finally grasped the handle of the flashlight just as the shadow grabbed him around the waist.

Marik switched on the light, hoping to at least discover what was attacking him. He shined the light on the creature, and gasped at what he saw. The flashlight slipped from his fingers, and he realized that his whole body was shaking. "No! It can't be!" Marik cried in fear.

The person dropped him on the floor. The dark laughter returned, and Marik felt a sudden breeze fill the hallway. Torches on all sides lit up, revealing every corner of the corridor…and its occupants.

Marik stared up at the face. A face he recognized…a face very much like his own…

"It has been too long," Yami Marik said with a grin. "Finally, I have the chance to do what I wish I could've done long ago."

Marik could barely do anything except stare. "This isn't real…you were a part of me! A part of me I destroyed!"

Yami Marik chuckled. "I will _always _be a part of you, Marik. I might not ever be able to take control again, but everyone is dark somewhere in their hearts. You fear me, you fear _becoming _me. That is why I'm here. You brought me here. I am your first and _last _test!"

Marik grimaced. His back really hurt from where he had collided with the wall. He pulled himself up. "What is it I have to do, fight you? You don't frighten me."

Yami Marik raised an eyebrow. "You didn't read the writing on the door, did you?"

Marik was at a loss for words. _Why didn't I read it? How stupid of me! I can't believe this! _ Marik scolded himself silently.

Yami Marik's booming laughter echoed in the temple. "Foolish boy!"

Marik ran from him. He ran toward the end of the hall, but he didn't get very far. He was tackled to the ground.

"You're not getting away from me, Marik." He growled.

Marik threw his head back, smacking against Yami Marik's face. The evil man was caught off guard, and his hold on Marik eased. Marik pulled himself up from underneath his alter ego and bolted for the archway at the end.

_This is hopeless! I have no idea what to do; the clue was on the door! _Marik thought frantically. He heard Yami Marik gaining on him.

"Get back here! You can't end it this quickly!" Yami Marik screamed furiously.

Marik's heart pounded urgently in his chest. "End it? But I'm not even doing anything…" Marik found himself thinking aloud. He stared at the archway. "That's it! I can't leave the hallway, or you lose."

His joy was short-lived. His Yami pounced on him just as he had reached the stairs. Strong arms pinned him down, and Marik realized that he was done for. The head banging trick wouldn't work a second time, Yami Marik wasn't an imbecile.

He struggled in vain. He tried to wriggle out of his alter ego's clutches, but it was no use. Yami Marik was stronger than him.

He looked up at the archway. It was so close. So close that Marik felt hot tears trickling down his cheeks. _Ishizu…get Seto…_

He shook himself out of his stupor. _No…I have to do this. It will be the end of him for good! I won't have to live in fear of him taking over…_

Yami Marik began to pull him up, attempting to drag him down the hallway. He chuckled in Marik's ear. "It's over, Marik. You lose," his chuckle darkened, "and you know how I deal with losers."

Marik gasped and his eyes widened in fear. He knew all too well how his Yami dealt with losers. He tortured them in unimaginable ways. Marik gulped, for he knew his punishment would be even more severe than those he had carried out himself. _No…this ends here. This ends with _my _victory!_

Marik chuckled. Yami Marik stopped dragging him. "I'm not the loser today. You are."

His dark side laughed. "You're delusional."

Marik smiled. "I don't think so."

With a surge of determination, Marik used all of his strength to pull against his Yami's restraining arms. He pulled with strength he didn't even realize he had until that very moment. Yami Marik gasped in surprise as he realized Marik had reached the final step. Suddenly it seemed like a stalemate, neither able to move the other.

Marik's breathing was labored as he pulled with all of his might. He knew that he wouldn't be able to do this much longer.

"You can't possibly win this, Marik! I'm not alive; I don't get tired or run out of breath! I could do this forever, and you couldn't possibly hold out for another minute!" Yami Marik declared triumphantly.

Marik grimaced. He had only one shot. "Good thing I won't have to."

He shoved his elbow deep into Yami Marik's stomach, causing the malicious spirit to ease up on his hold. He and Marik both tumbled through the archway. Marik's whole body shook as he realized that his Yami hadn't disappeared.

"I'm not gone! You didn't win Marik! It ends here!" Marik nearly burst into tears there on the spot, but instead, he pulled his knees up to his chin. His whole body was past the archway now, and the evil spirit stared at him in surprise as he began to fade.

"No! Impossible! This can't be happening!" Yami Marik cried out in desperation, but it was over. The spirit faded away completely, leaving the real Marik alone in the empty temple.

He sat there in silence for a moment. He was still shaking from the encounter with his darker self. For a second he felt like he wouldn't be able to move. He felt that even though he had succeeded, he wasn't strong enough to face what was ahead of him.

He leaned his forehead on his knees. _It's over…he's gone. I can do this. I must finish it._

He pulled himself up and winced after realizing how sore he was. He turned around and took in the Throne of Osiris.

It was grand. The throne was solid gold and the decorations in the room were extravagant to say the least. Marik wondered for a moment how many treasure hunters had perished to reach this trove.

He slowly approached the throne and bowed down before it. He waited, hearing nothing but silence. He held the position for what seemed like an eternity.

"This temple is forbidden. Even most pharaohs didn't dare to enter."

Marik froze. _That voice…could it be? _ He wanted to speak, but thought better of it.

"Rise, my child. Look upon me, and tell me why you have journeyed to this holy place."

Marik hesitated, but he complied. He looked up slowly; almost afraid of what he might see.

Osiris looked like a man. A green man, but a man nevertheless. He was dressed extravagantly and his obsidian eyes reflected the light in the chamber. His green skin had an ethereal glow to it. Osiris looked like the King of Gods.

"I need Pharaoh Atem, my lord."

Osiris looked amused. "You think because you managed to survive your inner demons that I will just grant any wish you have?"

Marik frowned. "I was hoping you would."

"I do not resurrect the dead on a whim. You have wasted your time in coming here."

"No! There is more to it! Listen to me!"

Osiris stared him down. Marik felt as though he was staring into his very soul. He nearly laughed at the thought because it was in fact very possible.

"Go on, then."

"His other half, Yugi Mutou, is being consumed by his inner darkness…much like I was. I destroyed lives in that state. I tortured people and caused unimaginable pain…" Marik grimaced. "Yugi also wields the power of the Millennium Puzzle. I've had a vision of his evil, and I believe the Pharaoh is the only person that can get through to him."

Osiris seemed unimpressed. "That doesn't concern me. The world is not at stake, disturbing a soul at peace hardly seems like a fair solution to this…dilemma."

Marik was infuriated. "My lord, Atem would want you to do this! You say he's at peace, but if he had any idea what his best friend, his _partner_, was going through right now, he would be with him in an instant! Call me a liar! Just try it!"

"No one speaks to me like that, Marik Ishtar." Osiris's voice was booming, and the statement itself was enough to startle Marik. "But I can't call you a liar. You are right."

Marik gawked at the King. A long silence followed as Osiris seemingly thought over the situation.

The god's features seemed to soften. "I grant you this request, Marik Ishtar. But know this: you may never visit this temple again. To do so will be to invoke my wrath. As for the Pharaoh…he will be returned home."

Before Marik even had the chance to react, Osiris was gone. As he turned around to leave the temple, his thoughts lingered on Atem. _He will be returned home?_

--

He opened his eyes. His legs shook with surprising fatigue. He fell to his knees and looked around the small room in confusion. It seemed slightly familiar to him, but he couldn't remember why.

It was a total mess. Various items were scattered over the floor as if the room had been torn apart by crocodiles. Broken glass from the window lay on the carpet.

"Where am I?"

The Pharaoh slowly stood. He was dressed in his usual royal attire. Gold trinkets adorned his arms, wrists and neck. His royal blue cloak was draped over his shoulders and his crown nestled in its rightful place on his head.

He suddenly realized that there was something in his hand. He raised it up to his eye level and gasped in recognition.

"The Dark Magician!"

Memories of playing Duel Monsters flashed through his mind, as well as memories of his old friend Mahad. But most of all, the memories of someone that held a very special place in his heart came to his attention. He smiled.

"Yugi."


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: The OC introduced in this chapter will end up playing a significant role in the plot. Before anyone panics and gets all huffy, I don't plan on forcing an Atem x OC pairing. I thought I'd mention that because of her flirty behavior, haha. I perceive Atem as someone that doesn't fall in love fast. He's a loving person, no doubt, but rushing him into a relationship doesn't feel right to me.**

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**Chapter Five**

**---**

Atem stood there silently for a while just staring at the Dark Magician. _How did I end up with this? _He thought curiously. He looked up at the rest of the room, taking it all in now that he had realized where he was.

Yugi had always been a neat person. Not obsessively so, but enough that he wouldn't leave his room a mess. _No wonder I didn't recognize it at first, it's in a state of total disarray…why would Yugi leave it like this? _

He remembered the broken glass he had spotted earlier. He walked over to the window, bending down to touch the remnants of the glass. Amidst all of the broken glass lay a Duel Disk. Atem raised an eyebrow and picked up the device. He ran his thumb over the Kaiba Corp symbol. _He broke the window with his Duel Disk? _

Deep in thought, Atem carried the Duel Disk to Yugi's desk and placed it on top gently. He noticed the missing drawer and glanced over at the other side of the room. Sure enough, the drawer lay broken into the different sides of wood that had once formed it. Atem swallowed hard. _Something's wrong…I can feel it. Could this be why I have returned?_

A breeze entered through the window and brought Atem out of his thoughts. He walked over to the window and looked out; surveying the city he once called home. He sighed. _Staying here isn't getting anything done. Perhaps I'll pay my old friends a visit._

He exited Yugi's room and easily navigated his way to the familiar game shop. He could hear Solomon Mutou in the back room, but he decided not to bother him. He would have plenty of chances to talk to him later.

He left the store. People walking on the other side of the street stared at him as if he were an alien. Atem then remembered what he was wearing.

He looked down at his clothes and chuckled. _Well, this is certainly catching everyone's attention…_

"Nice outfit."

Atem's eyes widened. He whirled around and faced the familiar voice.

"Kaiba!"

Seto Kaiba smiled. "You almost sound happy to see me…but I find that hard to believe."

Atem returned the smile. "You don't believe many things I tell you anyway."

Kaiba nodded. "Granted. I think we should take this conversation elsewhere…I have a reputation to uphold. I'm sure it would make for some laughable news story if I was caught talking to some freak dressed like an Egyptian pharaoh." Kaiba frowned. "Not that I personally think you are a freak, but others might perceive you as one." He chuckled.

Atem tilted his head to the side curiously. "You don't think I'm a freak? I believe that's a first for you."

"We've been through a lot. I was an ignorant fool through most of it, but in the end, I'd have to be an idiot not to believe some of it over the years."

Atem nodded. "You know that I'm not Yugi."

"I suspected as much. The tan is what gave it away really." Kaiba reached into his coat and pulled out a phone. He pushed a couple buttons and held it up to his ear patiently. "Bring the car to the Mutou residence." He didn't waste time waiting for a response, he hung up.

"I hope you don't mind paying a little visit to Kaiba Corp." Kaiba said.

"Not at all."

The two of them stood in silence as they waited for the car. It wasn't tense or awkward; the both of them were just deep in thought. When it arrived, they pair entered the car quickly.

"First thing we do is get you out of those ridiculous clothes…no offense," Kaiba said with a smirk.

Atem nodded and looked at the young CEO. "When exactly did you start believing that I really existed apart from Yugi? It seemed that no matter what happened, you refused to accept it."

"There was no way of getting around your little dueling act. I couldn't think of any logical way of explaining the fact that Yugi was up against an almost exact copy of himself. And if that wasn't enough, that little field trip through time sure as hell was."

Atem smiled. "It took you long enough."

Kaiba frowned. "I'm sorry if I didn't believe as blindly as those friends of yours."

"You spent your whole life around technology and a company you built to make impossible situations seem like reality. I suppose that's why you weren't one of those people who need to see things to believe them." Atem thought aloud.

Kaiba smiled and closed his eyes. "Sure, let's go with that."

A few minutes later, the car pulled up in front of the Kaiba Corp headquarters. Both men exited the vehicle and proceeded to walk inside.

"Follow my lead," Kaiba ordered.

Atem nodded. They had almost reached the elevator when a voice caught them both off guard.

"Um…Mr. Kaiba?"

Kaiba stopped and looked over at the source of the voice. Atem's eyes flew to it as well.

A young blonde woman stood next to the receptionist's desk. She was staring at Atem with a quizzical expression on her face.

Kaiba sighed. "Yes Kathryn?"

"Who's that?" Kathryn asked curiously.

"He's a…model. I'm planning on adding an ancient Egyptian feel to my next virtual reality game." Kaiba improvised nervously.

Kathryn's eyes lit up. "A model, hmm?" She walked up to the pair and looked Atem up and down. The Pharaoh suddenly felt self conscious. "Well, nice pick! He's not bad looking I suppose." She winked at Atem.

Atem looked down and scratched the back of his neck uncomfortably. Kaiba chuckled amusedly. "As important as your taste in men is to me, we must go."

Kathryn shook her head. "Sure thing, boss." She looked at Atem. "What's your name?"

Atem met her eyes again. "I'm Atem."

"Nice to meet you. You should give me a call sometime. We could get coffee or something." She laughed when she saw how uncomfortable Atem looked. "Don't worry, I don't bite."

Kaiba rolled his eyes. "Kathryn, could you do me a favor and fetch Mokuba from school for me? I told him I would meet him but this matter requires my full attention."

Kathryn nodded. "Sure, anything for you, boss." She grabbed her jacket and swiftly left the building.

They continued walking toward the elevator. "Who exactly was that?" Atem asked. "I don't remember any of your employees ever being friendly."

"She's my personal assistant. At first the friendly personality was difficult to deal with, she kept trying to be my friend." He smirked. "I might've fired her for that, but she's so much better at her job than my previous assistants. She has been working for me for about a year and a half."

Atem smiled as well. "Or maybe she succeeded and you don't want to admit it."

Kaiba shook his head. "Not likely. I don't let people in easily; you should know that from experience."

The ride up to Kaiba's office was long and quiet. They stood in opposite corners, occasionally looking at one another. Kaiba's eyes fell on an object in Atem's hand, an object he hadn't noticed before. He raised an eyebrow.

"Why do you have a Duel Monsters card in your hand?"

Atem raised his hand and looked at the card. He had forgotten about it, yet he had been holding onto it this whole time. "When I…returned, it was already in my hand." He flipped the card over for Kaiba to see.

Kaiba's eyes widened. "That's freaky."

"Why's that?" The Pharaoh asked curiously.

"Just the other day, Yugi came to my office demanding that I find him another Dark Magician because he had lost his. Now you magically appear, and in your hand is the card he was searching for…" A thought suddenly came to Kaiba's mind. "Why _are _you here?"

Atem looked away. "I'm not sure. I think there's something wrong with Yugi though, perhaps that's why I was brought back here."

"You've seen him already?"

"No, but when I opened my eyes I was standing in his room. It was a disaster. He had broken his window with a Duel Disk and smashed his desk drawer by throwing it across the room." Atem shook his head sadly. "I don't know what's wrong with him, but I'm afraid to find out."

The elevator doors opened, and the two men continued toward the office door. When they entered, Kaiba sat in the chair behind his desk while Atem relaxed on the couch nearby. Kaiba was soon lost in his work while Atem was lost in his thoughts.

"There is definitely something wrong with Yugi." Kaiba said after a long silence.

Atem felt a stab of pain in his chest. "Tell me," Atem whispered sadly.

Kaiba shook his head. "I don't think I can. I think it would be best for you to see it for yourself…or maybe he'll be back to normal once he sees you."

Atem nodded. "I'll do anything to help him."

Without another word, Kaiba picked up his office phone. He punched in a few numbers and held the receiver to his ear. After a short silence, Atem heard someone answer.

"Mr. Mutou, it's Seto Kaiba. Is Yugi around? I see. When he returns, tell him that I need to see him right away, and that it concerns the things we discussed in our last meeting. Thank you, good-bye." Kaiba replaced the receiver and stood up. "I have a meeting to attend across town, but I want you to remain here. Yugi will drop by eventually, I'm sure of it. Hopefully everything will be peaches and cream by the time I return."

Atem nodded and watched as Kaiba left. He stood and walked to Kaiba's chair. He sat down and spun it around so he could see out the window.

_I don't know what to expect when Yugi arrives…if Kaiba thinks there's something wrong with him, it must be bad…_

Atem continued to stare out the window for what seemed like an eternity. As the sun began to set, Atem's eyelids drooped. He was exhausted, the confusion and worrying from throughout the day had taken its toll…

Atem sighed and his eyes closed completely. _I guess he isn't coming…I'll just have to seek him out myself._

"What did you want, Kaiba? Did you get my card?"

Atem's eyes snapped open in surprise. His heart beat faster at the sound of that familiar voice. He couldn't bring himself to speak, for some reason he was at a loss for words.

"Kaiba, answer me! I don't have all day, and I'm sure you don't either."

Atem grimaced. Yugi's voice wasn't nearly as friendly as he remembered. It was angry and impatient. Atem hesitated for a moment, not sure of how to proceed. With a deep breath, he pulled himself out of the chair, and turned to face his partner.

Yugi's face was creased with an angry scowl, but at the sight of Atem, it melted away into shock. Atem watched nervously as Yugi began to shake.

Suddenly, Yugi erupted in shaky laughter. "First the voices…now this…I really _am _losing my mind."

Atem stared at Yugi. "I'm not a figment of your imagination, Yugi. I'm here, I'm real."

Yugi was frozen like a statue. His eyes bore into Atem's and didn't waver. Atem couldn't explain it, but he could tell by the look in Yugi's eyes that he _knew _that this was real.

Atem's eyes softened. He reached his hand out and placed it on Yugi's cheek. "By the gods Yugi, look at you…you've grown so much since I last saw you." A happy tear fell from his eye.

Yugi closed his eyes. He reached his hand up and wrapped his fingers around the Pharaoh's wrist. Atem could feel hot, wet tears under his hand.

Atem watched his partner lovingly. "I've wished for this. I never wanted to leave you, Yugi. You're a part of me."

Yugi's features tensed. He whispered something, but Atem couldn't understand it.

"What did you say?" Atem questioned.

Yugi's eyes shot open. The expression on his face was no longer vulnerable. It was hard and cold. Angry tears fell freely.

"You're a liar!" He yelled furiously.

Atem stared at him dumbstruck. He had no idea how to react. "Yugi…I…"

"Don't say another word! I don't want to hear your lies!" Yugi cried.

Atem was frozen in shock. Yugi's fingers tightened around Atem's wrist. "I've never lied to you, Yugi!" He cried in desperation.

Yugi didn't respond with words. Instead, he pulled Atem over Kaiba's desk with surprising strength and flung him to the ground, face down. Yugi's eyes caught sight of the Dark Magician in Atem's hand.

Yugi placed his foot on Atem's wrist. He stepped down hard. Atem cried out in surprise, and he released the card. Yugi stooped down to pick it up and turned to exit the office.

_What is happening? Why is Yugi acting like this? _Atem thought in agony. _I can't let him leave, I _must _talk some sense into him!_

As Yugi attempted to walk away, Atem reached out and grabbed his ankle. Yugi fell on his face and dropped the Dark Magician. Atem pulled himself up onto his hands and knees and crawled over to Yugi.

Yugi rolled over onto his back. Before he could lash out, Atem pinned his arms to the floor.

"Yugi, listen to reason! I love you, you must know that! Why are you acting like this?" Atem cried out desperately.

Yugi struggled against his partner's hold. "If you loved me, you wouldn't have left! But it's too late, _Pharaoh_, I don't need you anymore! I don't need anyone! You wanted me to be independent right? Well congratulations, you got your wish!" Yugi yelled through his tears.

Atem felt a lump forming in his throat. "I'm sorry Yugi…"

Yugi shook his head. "Save it!"

Yugi kicked at the Pharaoh, burying his foot deep in his stomach. Atem cried out in pain and fell onto his back. Yugi stood up and watched as Atem attempted to do the same.

The Pharaoh looked up at Yugi, an expression of pure suffering etched on his face. "Look at yourself! What about your friends, Yugi? They meant everything to you once! Can't you see what you've turned into?"

Yugi lunged forward, grabbing Atem by the collar of his cloak. "My 'friends' are better off without me anyway. I intend to leave my past behind, and that includes you, _partner_." Yugi spat.

Tears streamed down Atem's face. "You're my light, Yugi. You were the bright shining star in my life and now you've been consumed by darkness! I'll free you from it, I swear to you. I will not rest until you're my partner again."

Yugi said nothing, angry tears still dripped from his tired eyes. He seemed unsure of how to react and just continued to stare at the one person he used to love more than anyone else.

"Yugi, we're two halves of a whole. When I left, part of you went with me…I know that now, I'm sorry. But you filled that emptiness with darkness…hatred, sadness, loneliness...when, in fact, darkness is nothing at all! I know my partner is still in there somewhere, I saw him when we first reunited! Fight against the darkness Yugi…please…" Atem begged.

Yugi's face relaxed. The tears ceased to flow and the tension disappeared. He stared deep into the Pharaoh's eyes. "You know nothing!" Yugi growled furiously. He threw Atem back, forcing him to hit his head hard on the edge of Kaiba's desk.

Yugi stared down in surprise at the crumpled form of his other half. Atem looked up at Yugi weakly. Yugi's face seemed void of any emotion whatsoever. The boy turned to leave, walking slowly away from his closest friend.

"Yugi…" Atem whispered hoarsely. Yugi didn't turn around or stop. Instead, at the sound of his partner's voice, he broke into a run. He burst through the doors of the office and was gone from Atem's sight.

Silence filled the room. The silence threatened to engulf Atem as he lay on the ground in agony. His whole body ached from the encounter, but his physical pain paled in comparison to his emotions. He felt as if someone had stabbed him through the heart with a knife and twisted it around for some sort of sick pleasure.

He sobbed for a while, his head throbbing. He slowly began to lose consciousness, and as the darkness finally overcame him, an image of his light was the last thing he saw.

---

**I feel so bad for Atem in this chapter. He had a small glimpse of the old Yugi and then it was ripped from him. I love Kaiba so much haha. I hate asking for you guys to review my story, it gives me the whole hobo-on-the-side-of-the-street-with-a-mug-asking-for-spare-change feeling. I just really want to know what you guys think. Oh well...review please! Haha. **


	6. Chapter 6

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**Chapter Six**

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Seto Kaiba was not in a good mood. His meeting didn't go well, and he was not in the mood to deal with Yugi and his problems. He sighed angrily. _I'll throw whoever is in my office out, no matter what is going on up there. _

He almost felt bad about kicking Atem out, but if things went as planned, he probably had a nice cozy bed waiting for him at Yugi's house.

Kaiba strode into the building. Everyone was off the clock for the day, thankfully. His employees would've only been pissed off by his current mood. Briefcase in hand, Kaiba headed toward the elevator. Suddenly, the doors opened, and a very distraught young man ran out of it.

"Yugi?" Kaiba called to him hesitantly. Yugi didn't respond, he sprinted past the CEO and burst out of the doors.

Kaiba stared after him in surprise. _What happened up there? _Kaiba thought curiously. He sighed again. _Only one way to find out, I suppose._

Kaiba headed into the elevator and pushed the button for the top floor. The ride was long, too long. The closer the elevator got to his floor, the faster Kaiba's heart beat. Anxiety built up in him as the doors finally opened.

His office was completely dark now. He slowly opened the door, unsure of what he was expecting.

He gasped in shock at the scene in front of him. The unconscious form of the Pharaoh lay in front of his desk.

Kaiba sat his briefcase down and quickly ran to Atem. He kneeled next to him and pulled him up, supporting Atem's back with his arm. He gently shook him. "Wake up…Atem…?" Kaiba said breathlessly.

The Pharaoh's eyes opened slowly. Kaiba noticed that they were bloodshot from all the tears he had cried. Kaiba swallowed hard against the lump that had formed in his throat. "What happened? What did he do to you?"

Atem blinked. New tears formed and he grimaced. "He ripped my heart out of my chest, crushed it beneath his heel, and handed it back to me." Atem replied hoarsely.

Kaiba gritted his teeth angrily. _Who does that punk think he is? This man _loves_ him! What is his problem?_

As if he was reading Kaiba's mind, Atem reached out and gripped Kaiba's shirt with his hand. "That wasn't Yugi…it can't be."

Kaiba frowned down at him. "I wish it wasn't."

Atem said nothing, he didn't have to. Kaiba pulled Atem's hand from his shirt and held onto it. He pulled the Pharaoh to his feet. Kaiba supported him as they took their first steps toward the door. Atem wordlessly accepted his help.

Kaiba took it slow, delicately guiding Atem to the elevator. Atem tried not to show his surprise at Kaiba's compassion. They reached the door, and Atem released Kaiba's hand to pull it open for both of them.

"If anyone can help him, it's you."

Atem looked up at Kaiba in surprise. "I hope you're right, Kaiba. Yugi means everything to me…"

"I know. And that's precisely why I believe you can do this."

Atem chuckled weakly. "You're not Seto Kaiba, you can't be."

Kaiba smiled. "Or maybe you're just catching me in a strange mood."

Atem was tempted to say more, but he decided against it. He pushed the elevator button and it opened immediately. Kaiba helped him into the elevator and over to the back. Atem leaned against the wall as Kaiba pushed the button for the main floor.

Atem slid down into a sitting position. He crossed his arms over his knees and rested his forehead against them. He sighed deeply as memories of his encounter with Yugi replayed in his mind:

"_If you loved me, you wouldn't have left! But it's too late,__Pharaoh__, I don't need you anymore! I don't need anyone! You wanted me to be independent right? Well congratulations, you got your wish!"_

The words stung his heart as if they had just been said for the first time. He barely held back the tears that threatened to fall. _I must be strong, _Atem thought bitterly, _I can't dwell on this._

Kaiba was once again the first to break the silence. "I take it you don't have anywhere to stay."

Atem didn't move. "I'll figure something out."

Kaiba shook his head. "No, you're coming to stay with me."

Atem looked up at Kaiba in surprise. "You…you're serious."

Kaiba laughed. "Yes. I'm not a heartless bastard, Atem. I'm not going to stand idly by while you wander the streets of Domino wearing your extremely valuable gold jewelry in the middle of the night."

Atem smiled gratefully. "I guess you're right."

"I usually am."

--

Kathryn stumbled through the front doors of Kaiba Corp. It was extremely late, her eyelids drooped drowsily. She shook her head in a vain attempt to wake herself up. She sighed as she made her way to the elevator.

Before she could reach it, however, it opened. Seto Kaiba exited supporting an obviously weak man. Kathryn stared at the pair.

"Mr. Kaiba? Atem, are you alright? Should I call an ambulance?" Kate asked worriedly.

Kaiba looked up at her in surprise. "You should be at home. I let you off the hook for the day already."

Kate ignored him and walked up to them. Atem watched her wearily as she looked him over. "What happened to you?" She asked, concerned.

Atem looked away. "A friend and I had a bit of an argument."

Kate frowned. "Must've been one hell of an argument."

Atem closed his eyes sadly. Kate felt a sharp pain in her chest and she winced. _Crap, I should've just left it alone._

Kaiba evidently picked up on this as well. "Kate, I know you're not here on business, but could you go up to my office and fetch my briefcase? I left it behind when I helped Atem to the elevator."

Kate yawned and nodded. "That's why I'm here, boss. I figured you'd be here late and need something."

Kaiba raised an eyebrow but didn't make a comment. "I'm going to take Atem back to my place; I need to get him settled. Do you have your key with you?" Kate nodded. "Just let yourself in then."

As Kate headed to the elevator, Atem smiled in amusement. _Kaiba gave that girl a key to his house? Why?_

Kate leaned up against the wall of the elevator as it slowly made its way up to the top floor. Her eyes closed and her mind began to drift when the elevator came to a stop. Her eyes snapped open and she walked forward toward the office.

She spotted the briefcase right away, but another object caught her eye as well. It was a card, a Duel Monsters card by the looks of it. Kate didn't know much about the game, but working for Seto Kaiba taught her what it was all about.

She walked over to it and picked it up. She examined it and laughed. "For such a powerful _man,_ he sure does wear a lot of purple."

Kate knew for a fact that the card didn't belong to Kaiba, so she assumed that it belonged to Atem. She shrugged and put it in her jacket pocket. _I'm about to see him again anyway._

--

Kate had a difficult time driving to Kaiba's mansion. She could barely keep her eyes open, and that scared her. When she finally turned the car off, she sighed in relief and exited the vehicle.

She held the briefcase in one hand and the house key in the other. She quietly let herself in, but there was someone waiting for her.

"Kate! Come on, I'll take you to Seto," Mokuba said happily, hugging the blonde. They made their way up the stairs and down a couple hallways before finally reaching an open door.

Atem was lying on the bed with his head propped up on a couple of pillows. He gave Kate a small smile as she entered.

"Where's Mr. Kaiba?" Kate asked.

A groan from the adjacent room answered her question. Kate chuckled. "Kate, the business day is over. Forget the formalities," Kaiba called from the other room.

Kate entered the room and approached Kaiba. "Here, _Seto_." She smiled as she handed him the briefcase.

He took it from her and placed it on the table. "Thank you. You should go on home, it's late."

Kate nodded. "Right, I just have to do one more thing first."

Kaiba followed Kate as she entered Atem's room. She walked over to his bed and sat next to him. Atem looked up at her, waiting for her to speak.

"When I was in Seto's office, I found something on the floor." Kate pulled the Dark Magician out of her pocket. "Does it belong to you?"

Atem's expression was unreadable. He stared at the card. "Yes, I suppose it does. Thank you, this card carries a lot of…sentimental value…" Atem's eyes glistened as he slowly took the card from Kate's outstretched hand. "Really, it means a lot that you retrieved this for me."

Kate nodded, yawning. "It's no problem."

Her head relaxed against the headboard of the bed for a moment, and her eyes began to close automatically. As she felt herself drifting away, she quickly jerked herself awake. "Jeez I should probably get home before I fall asleep," Kate said, reluctantly pulling herself off the bed.

Kaiba walked toward her, shaking his head. He placed one hand on each of her shoulders. "Look at you, you can barely stand. I can't believe I was foolish enough to let you drive in this condition…no, you're not going home. Stay here tonight."

Kate stared at him incredulously. It had taken a while and a lot of perseverance, but Kaiba had seemingly grown to like her. Still, she had never known him to make offers like this to his employees.

She wasn't going to argue with him. She was too tired for that. She simply stared at him until he frowned. "That is, unless you would much rather drive your car into a tree." Kaiba said impatiently.

Kate laughed. "No thanks, I'm quite fond of living."

Kaiba smirked. "Wait here." He turned and left the room, searching for one suitable for her.

Kate shook her head. "No way am I waiting."

Atem chuckled behind her. "Why don't you just relax over here, then?"

Without another thought, Kate laid down next to Atem. "A couple of hours ago you were afraid to have coffee with me, yet here you are, offering your bed to me." She laughed.

Atem laughed as well. "Yes, I suppose that is odd."

Kate yawned again. "So, why does that card mean so much to you?" She had been a little afraid of bringing it up, but she was curious.

Atem sighed beside her. "It represents the strong bond I once had with my closest friend. Unfortunately, there is a rather large rift between us…hopefully I can restore our friendship. He's my whole world."

Kate opened her eyes and looked at Atem. "Is that so? Are you sure you're just friends?"

Atem raised an eyebrow and looked at her. "I have _no idea _what you are implying." He smiled. "He's like a brother to me."

Kate smiled back at him. "That's sweet."

Silence blanketed them peacefully as they each began to fall asleep. Her eyes closed and barely conscious, Kate could feel arms lifting her from the bed and carrying her out of the room. She smiled.

"You know, I think you're a lot sweeter than you let on."

She felt Kaiba tense, and her smile broadened. "I don't know what you're talking about. Atem has enough to worry about without you gawking at him in his sleep." He growled.

If she had been more awake, she would've rolled her eyes. "Whatever you say, boss." She replied mockingly.

She thought she heard the faintest chuckle coming from him as she finally gave in to sleep.

--

_Why am I here?_

A small voice in the back of Yugi's mind nagged at him. He stared at the building in front of him and pondered whether or not he should enter.

_Why am I here?_

Yugi looked down at his hand. He had returned to his home and retrieved the Millennium Puzzle. He didn't understand why; at the time it seemed crucial. Now he was at a loss.

His fingers tightened around the chain. The object would always be a reminder of his past. It would always remind Yugi of _him._

Yugi brought the Puzzle up to eye level. He eyed it and gave an exasperated sigh. _I need to get rid of the Puzzle and leave Domino behind me for good. I don't see another way, especially now that…_

His thoughts came to an abrupt halt. He paused for a moment, merely staring at the gold trinket in his hand. _…Now that he's…back._

Yugi swallowed hard. _How can this be? He was supposed to be gone forever, "at peace" in the Spirit World._

Yugi shook his head and dismissed those thoughts. _It doesn't matter now._

He placed the Millennium Puzzle around his neck and looked up at the building again. He knew the store would be closing soon. If he wished to enter, it would have to be quick.

He frowned.

_Why am I here?_

He entered the store. The owner looked up in surprise behind the glass counter. He was an old man, most likely in his early sixties. His hair was grey and thinning out, but his eyes had an energy to them that seemed younger than him.

"Hello there, young man. I'm about to close up shop for the night, so if you want to make a purchase, don't wait too long. I don't mean to rush you, but I would like to get some sleep." The man chuckled.

Yugi walked up to the counter and looked down into the glass case. He examined each of the items with eager eyes.

_Why am I here?_

The small voice in his head that was constantly asking that question was growing quieter and quieter with each passing second. Yugi pointed at an object in the glass. "Can I see that one?"

The owner shrugged and opened the case. He drew out the smooth metal weapon and handed it to Yugi. Yugi wrapped his fingers around the handle of the pistol and liked the feel of it in his hand. He smiled with satisfaction as he admired the weapon.

"Why are you here?"

The voice was different this time, louder and more confident. It was _him._

Yugi whirled around to face the Pharaoh, but he wasn't there. Grinding his teeth together angrily, he turned to face the shop owner once more.

"I'll take this one," Yugi said, placing the gun on the glass counter.

The shop owner nodded. "Sure, I'll have to see your ID first."

Yugi showed him the card, and the old man punched some information into his computer. "Alright, now, will you be paying with cash or credit?"

Yugi hesitated. He had neither. He then glanced down at the Puzzle and an idea struck him. "This necklace is an ancient Egyptian artifact. It's made of solid gold and is probably worth quite a lot of money. What would you say to a trade?"

The old man looked skeptical. "No, sorry sonny, but I wasn't born yesterday. I'm not going to take any chances. If you must, go sell your jewelry and come back."

Yugi glared at him. "You're making a mistake," he growled threateningly.

The man raised an eyebrow. "Are you threatening me, boy? Get the hell out of my store."

Yugi lashed out, grabbing the old man by the throat. The owner gaped at him. "Please, I'm asking you politely to reconsider," Yugi hissed.

The man laughed shakily. "Oh yes, you're a regular Mary Poppins," he retorted.

"What are you _doing, _Yugi?!"

Yugi gritted his teeth. That voice only made him angrier. He had never felt so hateful, he could barely contain it. It wasn't just because of this old man, it was because of _him_ and the confrontation they had had not so long ago.

Yugi's eyes widened in surprise as the Millennium Puzzle began to glow. He looked down and stared at it. His jaw dropped. _I thought its power was gone!_

The shop owner wasn't oblivious to the glowing object. He eyed it fearfully. Yugi looked up to meet his eyes once more, and the old man gasped. His eyes weren't purple anymore…they were blood red.

Yugi smirked. He felt ancient energies coursing through him. He felt so powerful; it was the most amazing feeling in the world.

"YUGI!" Atem's voice boomed with surprising force in Yugi's mind. For a moment he hesitated, unsure of what was going on. He stared at the man with wide eyes and the one holding his throat shook. He suddenly felt afraid, afraid of himself. He shook his head, quickly dismissing what he had just felt.

The old man stared at the gold eye that formed on Yugi's forehead. Yugi seemed unconcerned…in fact, he seemed to be having the time of his life. Yugi laughed coldly. The store owner felt something strange surge through him, and in the next instant, it seemed to be sucked away from him. Pain struck him as he felt himself being pulled away from his own body. He cried out in surprise, but it was too late.

The man's eyes closed. He was suddenly limp with only Yugi's grasp supporting him. As the gold eye faded and Yugi's eye color returned to normal, he stared at the empty shell he held in his hand. He threw the man back with tremendous force, causing him to hit the wall behind him and fall on his face. He looked down at the body for a brief moment and then looked down at the Millennium Puzzle.

He placed a hand on the gold object. _What exactly did I just do, seal the man's soul in the Puzzle? _A part of Yugi's mind was screaming for him to fix it, to reverse what he had just done. That part of his mind, the part of him that had Atem's voice, was drowned out by the overwhelming majority. Yugi barely even acknowledged the existence of the voice. His new power brought him peace and confidence. It brought him quiet.

Yugi grinned. _Quiet. _

He hopped over the counter, grabbing his newest possession in the process. He rummaged around behind the counter searching for the ammo. Locating it, he quickly loaded his weapon and exited the store. He grinned up at the night sky, holding his pistol in one hand and the Millennium Puzzle in the other.

"I've been going about this the wrong way. Maybe I don't need to leave Domino…" Yugi thought aloud, holding the Puzzle up for a closer look. "I have the power to wipe my past from the face of the Earth in my hand."

--

**It seems like I keep making the chapters longer and longer, haha. If it isn't already obvious, I thought I'd make something clear. The "Atem" in Yugi's mind is basically the old Yugi, the good part of him. The internal conflict will be constant throughout the story, in fact, it'll get worse. I hope you like this chapter! **


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: Sorry guys, but this is going to most likely be the last update for a little while. I know I've been updating pretty fast since the beginning, but finals are coming up and I'm going to be completely swamped with studying and stupid projects I have to get done. Wish me luck, haha, and I hope you enjoy the chapter.**

---

**Chapter Seven**

---

"Wake up."

Kate groaned as she felt someone shaking her. She opened her eyes and glared at the man attempting to wake her. She sat up and yawned. "Need something?"

"I brought you coffee," Kaiba said, handing her the cup.

She accepted it gratefully. "Thank you." She sipped the hot drink and watched her boss, waiting for him to tell her why he had interrupted her sleep.

"I need you to take care of something for me, it'll probably take a while…and it might be difficult."

Kate nodded. "Alright, well, I'm always up for a challenge."

Kaiba stared out the window next to the bed. "I need you to take Atem to the mall and find him some suitable clothes to wear. I can't have him walking around in that ridiculous outfit and he doesn't exactly fit into my clothes."

Kate raised an eyebrow. "He doesn't have any clothes besides the Egyptian stuff?"

Kaiba shook his head. "No. I'm almost afraid of what he'd pick out if he went by himself…besides, after what happened last night, I'd prefer to have someone with him."

Kate chuckled. "So what, you're paying me to play fashion police and babysitter?"

He smirked. "Basically."

"Sounds like fun."

Kaiba looked at her. "I'd prefer it if you didn't try to contact me today, I have a shareholders meeting to attend." He winced, obviously not happy with the idea. "Pass that along to Atem."

Kate nodded. "Duty calls."

Kaiba frowned. "Unfortunately."

He stood and turned to leave. He glanced at her over his shoulder. "Good luck, you'll need it."

Kate smiled. "You too. Have fun."

Kaiba sighed and left.

--

Atem stared out the car window at the mall. "Shopping?" He frowned. "Shopping hardly seems important."

Kate shrugged. "I'd say it's important, you look ridiculous in Seto's clothes." She laughed as she looked at how long the pants and sleeves were on Atem.

Atem sighed. "Alright, let's get this over with."

Kate shook her head. "Don't be like that, it'll be fun."

They exited the car and walked to the mall in silence. They made their way inside and started looking for a store to go in.

Atem saw bright colors in Hot Topic, catching his attention. Kate shook her head and grabbed his arm, pulling him away from the store. He looked at her with a questioning expression. "Look, if you're going to be hanging around Seto Kaiba, you need to dress as normally as possible. Hot Topic has some neat stuff, but your hair is wacky enough." She laughed as Atem's eyes narrowed. "The hair's great, just…abnormal."

Atem shrugged. "I know."

Kate guided him to another store. Both of them searched through racks of clothes, occasionally pulling something out and showing it to the other. Kate laughed at how skeptical Atem was of her choices.

"You act like you're from a different time!" She commented as Atem held up a ridiculous pair of pants.

Atem smiled. _You have no idea,_ he thought amusedly.

She held up a plain, light blue long sleeved shirt. "How is this? I mean, come on…it's plain, it's blue, what's not to like?"

Atem tilted his head to the side as he scrutinized the shirt. "Looks fine to me."

Kate's eyes lit up. "Finally, progress!"

Atem shook his head. "How are _these _pants, then?" He held up a pair of black jeans.

Kate raised an eyebrow. "Well, look at that. I think you're learning," she praised him, laughing.

Atem smiled. "I'm a fast learner."

Kate held up a studded belt. "Here, you can keep a bit of your wacky taste in fashion with you." She handed it to him and dragged him off to the checkout counter. Using Kaiba's credit card, they quickly paid for the clothes. "Can he change in one of your dressing rooms?" The cashier nodded and pointed to the back. Kate thanked him and ushered Atem to the dressing rooms.

Atem sighed. "You're in a rush, aren't you?"

Kate shrugged. "I want to see how we did. I think you should just keep those shoes, Kaiba can always buy new ones anyway."

Atem nodded and entered one of the rooms. Kate sat in a chair and waited for a while. She leaned her head back and sighed, wanting to go back to sleep. She heard a door open and looked up immediately.

A big smile spread on her face. "You look great. We're such a good team."

Atem smiled. He gestured toward the bag in his hand. "What should I do with Kaiba's clothes?"

Kate stood and took the bag from him. "I'll run them out to the car." They exited the store and she pointed at a restaurant down the hallway. "Wait for me there, we can have some lunch."

"Alright."

As Kate walked away, Atem turned in the direction of the restaurant. Without her company, his mind strayed to thoughts of Yugi. He frowned. _How can I help him when he despises me?_

He walked toward the restaurant sadly. The events of the night before replayed in his mind over and over. The encounter had even haunted his dreams. He clenched his teeth as he fought off tears. _He's right…I failed him. He begged me to stay, but I didn't listen. I was so eager to see my friends and family again…_ Atem shook his head in frustration. _No, it's not entirely my fault. I had been trapped in the Millennium Puzzle for five thousand years! It was time for me to finally be at peace. Afterward I had wished to return to Yugi many times…but I was too late._

Atem sighed. It seemed like his thoughts were going in circles, constantly repeating the same thing over and over. He felt horrible for leaving Yugi alone in this world when he needed him, but at the same time, he felt that he had deserved to go to the Afterlife.

Atem reached the restaurant and stood there waiting for Kate to return. _It seems as though Kaiba and Yugi have switched personalities, only Yugi's violent tendencies seem much more extreme than Kaiba's ever were. And even though Kaiba is a lot nicer, he still pales in comparison to what Yugi used to be… _Atem felt a pain in his heart and directed his thoughts away from Yugi._ What has caused Kaiba to change so dramatically? Last time I saw him, he was still the arrogant jack ass I had known for years. _Atem smiled slightly. _His ego hasn't changed a bit though._

"Hey, are you hungry?" Kate called, snapping Atem out of his thoughts.

He turned to her and gave a small smile. "Yes, very."

They were led to a table set for two. For a while it was silent as they looked at the menus. Atem honestly couldn't decide what he wanted. When the waiter came to take their order, Atem just ordered the same thing Kate did. She laughed at him afterward, making Atem smile.

His smile soon faded. He spotted a couple of guys at a table nearby playing a table top game of Duel Monsters. Thoughts of Yugi returned and a serious expression replaced his smile.

Kate sighed. "I know what you're going through."

This slightly irritated Atem, but he tried not to show it. "I doubt it."

"Believe it or not, I do. I had the most amazing grandpa on the face of the planet. We would play checkers and watch cartoons every Sunday. As a kid, he was my best friend, and I wouldn't have it any other way. He also made the BEST brownies in the world, that was a huge plus," Kate said with a grin on her face. Atem was listening to her story, but he continued to watch the boys playing Duel Monsters.

Kate sighed sadly. "When I was 11, my mom died. She got into a car accident. She fell asleep at the wheel…" Atem's head jerked in her direction at that. "My father started drinking heavily. It became such a horrible habit, he was drunk every night. My grandfather became worried for my safety, he was afraid that my father would beat me since he was already notorious for his bad temper."

Atem grimaced. He felt very guilty for dismissing her understanding so quickly.

"My father never laid a hand on me. Sure, he was a hopeless alcoholic with a bad temper, but he _never _hurt me. My father was all I had, and I intended to keep him with me. However, my grandfather had other plans. He tried to get custody of me in order to 'protect me' from my father. He nearly succeeded, but my father turned his life around and started attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. After that, my relationship with my grandfather was never the same. I haven't talked to him in 7 years even though he lives in the same city as me." Kate looked at Atem sadly. "I do understand where you're coming from, Atem. You love this friend of yours and yet you have grown apart. The same thing has happened between me and my grandfather."

Atem's heart hurt for her. "I'm sorry, Kate. That's horrible…I shouldn't have dismissed you like I did."

Kate shrugged. "We all have those moments. We feel like no one could possibly understand the pain we are going through."

Atem nodded sadly. An awkward silence fell over them, each thinking of what they could possibly say to the other to lift their spirits. Instead, they each turned to the TV to avoid dealing with their problems for a short time.

The news anchor on screen had a serious expression on his face. "Doctors have tried to explain the cause of the man's coma but all tests have come back inconclusive. Some have said that they believe this to be a new health risk that was previously unknown."

Atem and Kate both watched with great interest.

The news anchorman continued. "The man was found by an avid hunter named Paul. He described Mr. Chase as an extremely friendly and funny old man with a kind heart."

Kate gasped. Atem looked over at her in surprise. An expression of pure shock was on Kate's face. Atem had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"What's wrong?" Atem asked concernedly. Kate didn't answer. She merely stared at the TV. Atem looked at it as well, seeing a photo of a jovial looking old man. He glanced at Kate again, who was standing now. She looked as if her mind was elsewhere.

Kate pulled out Kaiba's credit card, dropped it on the table, and quickly ran from the restaurant. "Kate! Wait!" Atem cried after her. She didn't answer and kept running.

Atem sighed in frustration. _I can't just leave, I need to stay behind and pay for lunch, _he thought angrily. His stomach did flips as he nervously tried to figure out what had happened to her. The waiter finally came by with the check, and Atem hastily handed him the credit card. He was beginning to get impatient as he waited for him to return. _How am I supposed to leave now? Kate was the one that brought me here! _Atem sighed. _I'll have to call Kaiba._

The waiter gave Atem the credit card and Atem swiftly exited the restaurant. He spotted a pay phone and made a beeline for it. He sighed as he realized that he didn't have any change. A woman walked up to the pay phone next to him and began to insert change into the slot. She looked over at Atem, raising an eyebrow at his polite smile.

"Hi there, you wouldn't happen to have any spare change, would you?"

--

Kaiba sat in his chair with his arms crossed and stared at the masses. He wasn't in the mood for this worthless meeting; he rarely ever spoke during it anyway. He had to listen to the concerns of the Kaiba Corp shareholders and promise to do what he could to put them at ease.

He sighed angrily. _These people don't have a clue. I don't need a bunch of people telling me how to run my own company!_

He watched as shareholder after shareholder both praised him and criticized him. Mokuba sat next to him. The poor kid was actually paying attention to what was being said and taking notes.

"Mokuba, don't waste your time. This is _our _company, we'll run it the way we think it should be run," Kaiba whispered in his brother's ear.

Mokuba sighed. "Brother, you really should take their opinions to heart. They aren't as worthless as you think." Mokuba smiled. He knew his brother all too well.

Kaiba smiled as well. "It looks like you're doing that enough for the both of us."

Mokuba shrugged. "One of us has to."

Kaiba's coat pocket vibrated. Kaiba scowled. "Great, someone's calling me. Mokuba, can you answer it for me? It would look bad for me to answer it when I'm supposed to be paying such close attention." _This had better be good, _Kaiba thought.

Mokuba nodded. Kaiba handed him the phone, and he quickly answered it. "Seto Kaiba's phone, Mokuba speaking."

Kaiba rolled his eyes and chuckled at Mokuba's politeness.

"Atem? What's wrong?"

Kaiba raised an eyebrow. _Atem? Why the hell is he calling me when I told Kate how busy I am? _

"Oh…that's weird. Do you have any ideas why?"

Mokuba listened intently to what Atem was saying. He looked up at his big brother, placing a hand over the mouth piece. "Seto, something's wrong with Kate."

Kaiba looked at him. "What do you mean?"

Mokuba shrugged. "I don't really know…Atem doesn't either. They were eating lunch, and a news report came on. They watched it and Kate started acting weird and bolted from the restaurant."

Kaiba frowned. "That's not like her." He hesitated. He looked over at the shareholders and back to his brother. _Screw it, _Kaiba thought with a smirk. He held his hand out for the phone and Mokuba handed it to him. "Mokuba, I trust you to keep this meeting under control. Make up some reason as to why I'm leaving early."

Mokuba nodded. "Sure thing, bro."

Kaiba brought the phone up to his ear and made his way to the exit. "If this ends up being a mistake of some sort, I will be _pissed_."

Atem chuckled on the other line. "Why does that not surprise me? I get you out of a meeting you didn't want to go to in the first place and yet you are irritated."

"I'm going to get a lot of shit for it, that's why. The Kaiba Corp shareholders are made up of rich idiots who only care about holding on to their money."

"Why don't you like them then? It sounds like you have a lot in common."

Kaiba frowned. "Watch it. The difference is, I actually know how to run my company, and they don't."

Atem changed the subject. "I need you to pick me up from the mall."

"I'll be there in five."

Sure enough, Kaiba's car showed up at the mall in record time. It was a silver convertible, probably one that cost triple what most people make in a year's salary. Atem spotted it and quickly jumped into the passenger seat.

"If I'm correct, you need to head to the Domino City Hospital."

Kaiba said nothing as he took off in that direction. The ride there was silent, both men lost in their thoughts. Kaiba would never admit it, but he was genuinely concerned for Kate. Mokuba had always been his only companion, but when Kate came along, she had been determined to earn his friendship. He smiled. They weren't exactly friends, mainly because he had never truly treated her as such, but he had grown to care for her. He was too proud to admit it. Kaiba almost laughed. _Maybe everyone is right; my ego does get in the way._

When they finally arrived at the hospital, they quickly departed from the vehicle. They walked briskly into the hospital, Kaiba following Atem's lead.

Atem approached the front desk. "Excuse me, but can you tell me where you have a certain Mr. Chase?"

The receptionist rolled her eyes. "Sorry sonny, but you have to be family to get back there. Everyone wants to see the poor man now that his story has been on the news."

Atem felt a sharp pain in his heart. _Family…that man is her grandfather, isn't it? _Atem's eyes stung. _What are the odds?_

Kaiba took over. "Look, miss, I'm Seto Kaiba. My assistant is back there with him, let us go to her," Kaiba growled impatiently.

The receptionist shook her head. "I don't care who you are. You're not getting back there."

Kaiba sighed and massaged his temple. He took a deep breath and swallowed his pride, raising his head to meet the receptionist's eyes. "She's my closest friend, please."

Atem looked at Kaiba in shock.

"Seto…"

Kaiba whirled around. Kate had just come from a long hallway and was standing there watching him. Her eyes were red with tears that were still falling. Kaiba stared at her, a lump forming in his throat. She walked up to him and looked deep into his blue eyes.

"Your eyes are kind of pretty, you know that? They're so blue, like the ocean…" Kate said half-heartedly. Her voice was rough like she had been crying for quite some time.

Kaiba stood as still as a statue. He didn't know how to handle the situation, he had never been in this position before except for with Mokuba…but that was different. Wasn't it?

Kate must've picked up on it because she leaned into him hesitantly. Anxiety built up in her stomach and she closed her eyes. She was afraid that maybe she had overstepped, since he was her boss and she was just his employee. Part of her didn't care, she just needed someone to hold her. If Kaiba wasn't willing, surely Atem would be. He seemed like a nice guy.

After a long moment of her silent panicking, she felt arms wrap around her. Her eyes opened in surprise. She had hoped that he would be there for her, but she hadn't really expected it. She closed her eyes tight and put her arms around him.

"Thank you," she whispered against his chest. "I told you that you were sweeter than you let on."

Kaiba snorted. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Kate smiled. "Whatever you say, boss."

--

**I'm pretty happy with this chapter. It's cute. The **_**mostly **_**lightheartedness of this chapter was needed I think since most of the story is dark and filled with angst. I know it's kind of OOC for Kaiba to have a friend, haha, but I hope you guys don't mind. I love Kaiba's character and I personally do think he is a sweet guy once you break down his walls. Just look at Mokuba, even though I guess he's his brother. They are the cutest sibling pair ever. **

**I couldn't help but think about YGOTAS when I had Kaiba think "Screw it" hahaha. I guess that's my little homage to LittleKuriboh.**

**By the way, I'm really happy that you guys like the story so far. I've loved every review, so thank you.**

**If I have time, I'll update. I probably won't until after finals though, sorry. Finals suck, let's toast to that.**


	8. Chapter 8 Part 1

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**Chapter Eight**

**Part One**

---

Atem's eyes opened slowly. His dream had been pleasing in comparison to the one he had had the night before. He smiled. He had dreamt of his friends. He sighed and pulled himself out of the bed. The previous day had been so confusing for him emotionally. He had been grappling with Yugi's hatred for him and the shocking condition of Kate's grandfather. Atem ran a hand through his tri-colored spikes and made his way for the door. He clumsily grabbed for the handle and pulled it open, slipping through the space.

He walked past countless doors trying to find his way to the kitchen. He grew agitated as he realized how lost he was.

"It's this way."

Atem turned to face the source of the voice. Kate stood in a black dress and was smiling at him. He raised an eyebrow.

"Did you stay here last night?" Atem asked curiously.

Kate shook her head. "No, I decided to come by for breakfast."

Atem nodded. "So you decided to look for me?"

Kate laughed. "I got lost the first couple times I was here too."

Atem smiled at her and gestured toward the end of the hall with his hand. "Lead on, then."

Kate looped her arm with Atem's and walked down the hall. Atem frowned. "Why are you so happy? Forgive me if that sounds rude but…you were a mess last night."

Kate didn't look at him as she answered. "I'm trying to be optimistic. On the bright side, there's nothing physically wrong with him…unless they are right and it is some sort of freak disease that no one has ever had before." She sighed. "I don't believe that to be the case. I'm no doctor, but I don't think this has anything to do with health. Someone did this to him, that's what my gut is telling me."

"But what could they have possibly done? I can't think of anything that-" Atem cut himself off. He froze. His legs refused to move and Kate looked at him curiously.

_Grandpa…Yugi's grandpa, _Atem thought suddenly, growing very worried. _When he lost his soul to Pegasus, something similar happened…a coma that couldn't be explained by any doctor…_

"Atem? Are you alright?" Kate asked, concerned.

Atem blinked and snapped out of his thoughts. _Absurd, no one has the power to do that anymore. The Millennium Items are gone forever…aren't they?_

Atem looked at Kate and gave her a shaky smile. "Of course, I'm fine. Sorry about that," Atem said half heartedly.

Kate narrowed her eyes at him. "I don't believe you, but fine. If you don't feel like sharing with the class, I won't make you."

Kate began to pull Atem down the hall again. He sighed guiltily. _It's no use…even if I had told her, she wouldn't have believed me. _

They reached the kitchen, finding Mokuba sitting on a stool eating cereal. He grinned at them.

"Hey guys! Are you hungry? You can help yourself to anything here if you want. What's mine is yours." Mokuba said happily.

Kate smiled. "Thank you Moki, I think it's just Atem that needs food," Kate put a hand up to her face as if she was about to tell him a secret. "I like to eat on the job; boss still thinks I don't have time to eat breakfast at home, that way I spend less time running errands for him." She whispered, winking at Mokuba.

"I heard that."

Mokuba laughed as Kate stiffened in surprise. She whirled around to face her boss. "Heard what, boss? I didn't say anything."

Kaiba shook his head, frowning. "You're not fooling anyone. Why don't you make yourself useful and get my briefcase for me? I left it in the office near Atem's room."

Kate rolled her eyes and looked at Mokuba. "Let the long day begin, eh?"

Mokuba smiled and Kaiba groaned. Kate left the room and Kaiba turned his attention to Atem. "What do you plan to do today?"

Atem looked at him. "I want to see my friends again."

Kaiba chuckled. "If you must, I can tell you where they probably are. Personally I think there are much better uses of your time."

Atem crossed his arms skeptically. "Is that so? Enlighten me."

"Have you considered working for Kaiba Corp?"

Atem laughed. "Thank you for the offer, but I'll pass. I've only been alive for two days and you want me to work?"

Kaiba shook his head. "Right, my mistake. You haven't worked a day in your life, have you _Pharaoh_? You haven't needed to put forth any effort to achieve what you have, you were born into it."

Atem smirked. "No challenge is too great."

Kaiba laughed. "Watch it Atem, you're starting to sound like me."

Atem chuckled. "I thought that was supposed to be a good thing in your eyes?" Kaiba smiled and Atem continued. "Where are my friends?"

"They like to hang around a coffee joint called 'Biggby Coffee.' It's a short walk from here actually, it shouldn't be hard for you to find."

Atem nodded gratefully. As he turned to find his way to his room again, he stopped. "Be nice, Kaiba. She's not just your employee anymore." He continued to walk out of the kitchen, smiling when he heard Kaiba muttering under his breath.

--

Kaiba had been right. Finding the coffee place had not been hard. Atem looked at it, anxiety building up in his heart. His stomach twisted in nervous knots as he shakily reached out for the door handle. He pulled it open and walked inside, scanning the room for his friends.

His eyes rested on a certain blonde. He was at the counter ordering something, and he was alone. Atem's eyes feasted on the sight of him. He had missed his friend so much that he wasn't sure how to proceed. He merely stood in the entrance of the shop, staring at the blonde.

He had been so busy thinking about Joey Wheeler that he had failed to notice the two pairs of curious eyes that watched him nervously.

"Yugi?"

Atem's eyes widened and he turned in the direction of the voice. His heart skipped a beat when he recognized the two faces as Téa and Tristan. He opened his mouth to speak, but words didn't come out. He closed it again and watched the pair as they scrutinized him.

Téa stood and walked over to him. She looked into his eyes sadly and Atem's heart ached for her. He could tell that she had been severely affected by Yugi's transformation as well. He wanted to say something or reach out to her, but he was still in shock, and his body refused to obey his commands.

"Are you feeling better Yugi? I've been so worried about you ever since you ran out of the shop like that…hearing voices…"

Atem swallowed hard. _Hearing voices? Yugi wasn't kidding…_

Atem finally regained control. He reached a hand out and placed it on Téa's shoulder. She watched him warily as if she was afraid of him. He grimaced.

"Téa…I'm not Yugi."

She stared at him incredulously. She pushed his hand away angrily and stepped away from him. "Is this some sort of joke, Yugi? Your behavior was uncalled for before, but this takes the cake! Do you really just want to hurt me?"

Atem's eyes widened. He could only think of one true way to convince them that he wasn't Yugi…he spoke in ancient Egyptian. "Bu nafret su em bu bon."

Téa's angry expression softened. She looked closely at his face, noticing his tan for the first time. She gasped, her hands flying to cover her mouth in surprise. She stared deep into his eyes, tears falling from her own.

Atem wrapped his arms around her. "It's alright, Téa. Please, don't cry…"

She pulled away from him. "I thought I was never going to see you again! All of us did! Why have you come back?"

Atem looked away. "Yugi needs me."

Téa's eyes widened. "Oh…you've seen him…"

Atem nodded solemnly. "Bu nafret su em bu bon."

"Now what the heck is that supposed to mean?"

Atem turned around to look at the blonde that had approached him from behind. Joey Wheeler was staring at him skeptically with a frown on his face.

Atem sighed sadly. "It means 'a state of good has become a state of evil.'"

Joey gritted his teeth. "So…you really aren't Yugi then."

Atem shook his head.

Joey nodded emphatically, walking over to Tristan's side. "I see, I see. After two years, you decide to waltz back into our lives and expect everything to fall back into place? Yugi is broken. I've seen it with my own eyes. It's because of you that he has changed! You ripped him to shreds on the inside and he did a bang up job of stitching himself back together, wouldn't you say?"

Atem winced, his eyes glistening. "I know…I'm sorry…"

Joey shook his head angrily. "It's too late for apologies! They mean nothing! The only thing that matters is getting our Yugi back. I'm sorry if this isn't the welcoming party you expected Pharaoh, but this is all you're gonna get!"

Tristan placed a hand on Joey's shoulder. "Enough, man…yelling at Atem isn't going to fix anything. We should be happy that he has returned Joey, it's not his fault, and he _had _to leave."

Joey dismissed Tristan's plea. "I refuse to believe that. Atem had a choice, and he chose himself over Yugi's well being."

Atem looked down at the floor. Téa watched sadly as Atem's tears hit the floor of the coffee shop. She turned to Joey angrily.

"Listen, Joey! Stop being a child! Sure, Atem's leaving had a hugely negative impact on Yugi, but it's ultimately _Yugi's _fault that he has turned out the way that he has! He refused to move on, and because of that he's alone and angry. You can't blame Atem for everything."

Joey's expression relaxed and his eyes looked to the floor in defeat. "You're right…I just…I miss Yugi…" Joey wiped away tears that threatened to fall. He looked up at Atem. "I _am _glad that you're back, man…it's just hard to accept that you're here against all odds while Yugi is pushing us away."

Atem looked up to meet his gaze. "I know, but I am confident that we will save him together, Joey. We need to drive out the darkness in his heart before it's too late."

Joey nodded. "I'm right with ya Pharaoh. What should we do now, tag team and pay Yug' a little visit?"

Atem nodded. "We can try."

Téa stepped forward. "Let me come too!" She cried desperately.

Atem shook his head. "No Téa, stay here. If he's still violent, I don't want you to get hurt..."

She frowned at him angrily. "Fine, have fun walking then. I'm not going to let you use my car if you're not taking me with you."

Atem smiled sadly. "If that's all it takes, walking sounds splendid."

--

Atem and Joey walked side by side in the direction of Yugi's house. It was nearby now; it would only take a few minutes to reach. Joey side glanced at Atem, still surprised at his sudden appearance.

"How long have you…?" Joey began, but wasn't sure of how to finish the question.

Atem closed his eyes for a moment and smiled. "Two full days. This is my third."

Joey raised an eyebrow. "And you're only just now visitin' us? Good to know we mean so much to ya pal."

Atem shook his head. "The last two days have been extremely…eventful to say the least. On my very first day back, Yugi and I had a bit of a confrontation and he ended up slamming my head against Seto Kaiba's desk."

Joey frowned. "Yeah, he was a bit violent with me too…he shoved me up against a wall and told me how much he didn't need me."

"Yugi accused me of lying and blamed me for what he has become."

Joey sighed. "You win, I suppose."

Atem sighed as well. "This is one contest I wish I didn't win."

Yugi's house was in their sights now. It wouldn't be long before they reached it. They walked on in silence, not sure of what to say.

Suddenly, a muffled cracking sound was heard coming from Yugi's house. The two of them looked at each other confusedly for a moment before continuing to their destination. They weren't sprinting, but the noise had worried them a bit so they picked up the pace.

Soon they were in front of Yugi's front door. Atem's heart pounded in his chest as he reached out toward the handle. He turned it and took a deep breath. He and Joey exchanged glances, and then Atem slowly pushed the door open.

Both men stared at the shop in shock. They froze on the spot, taking in the scene before them. Atem's knees trembled and a scream threatened to erupt from his mouth.

He walked dazedly forward and fell to his knees. Blood had pooled slightly on the floor, causing Atem's stomach to lurch in disgust and fear. He pulled the still form from the ground and into his lap, pushing the hair aside as he turned the head over to see the face. He gawked at it as he instantly recognized who it was.

He couldn't hold it in any longer. Atem let out a horrified scream as he pulled the person closer. He could feel hot tears falling down his face. Joey watched the scene play out in terror, frozen to the spot as he tried to figure out what to do.

Atem's heart pounded painfully in his chest as he clumsily felt around for a heartbeat. His hands were shaking uncontrollably and his vision was blurred with the many tears that overflowed onto his face. He finally found the correct spot on the figure's neck. Atem felt a dull glimmer of hope as he felt the still beating heart pulsing beneath his fingertips.

"What…what has he _done_…?" Atem cried out in agony. "He couldn't…he couldn't possibly have…"

Atem squeezed his eyes shut tight and bowed his head. His desperate pleas for Yugi were in vain, because obviously he _was _capable of attempting murder.

--

**I know I said I wasn't going to work on this until after finals, but I'm finding more free time than I thought I would…maybe that means I'm not studying hard enough. Anyway, I was tempted to reveal who was shot, but I thought it would be much more fun for me to leave it as a cliffhanger. Obviously this is just part one of this chapter, the second part will be the same day from someone else's point of view. Review please!  
**


	9. Chapter 8 Part 2

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**Chapter Eight**

**Part Two**

---

"_You're not fooling anyone. Why don't you make yourself useful and get my briefcase for me? I left it in the office near Atem's room."_

Kate frowned as she left to fulfill her boss's request. His tone had hurt more than she would admit. She had played it off as being nothing, but she couldn't lie to herself. She sighed. Seto Kaiba was normally a cold person, but she had thought that she had gotten past that…he was there for her the night before, that wasn't just a dream…right?

Kate tried to think of something else, but she couldn't. She would never say it out loud, but Kaiba meant a lot to her. She hated that.

So why had he been so cold? Why had he reverted back to the way he had been when they first met? Kate gritted her teeth in frustration. _Why should I care? Same old Seto Kaiba, I shouldn't have expected anything more. _

Kate found the office and wrenched the door open. She had thought that she had finally broken down his barriers completely. She thought that he had finally realized that he shouldn't be alone in the world. She then shook her head. _Maybe I'm just overanalyzing this…_

She reached out for the briefcase but froze when she heard Atem's bedroom door open and close. Suddenly her encounter with him replayed in her mind:

_Kate didn't look at him as she answered. "I'm trying to be optimistic. On the bright side, there's nothing physically wrong with him…unless they are right and it is some sort of freak disease that no one has ever had before." She sighed. "I don't believe that to be the case. I'm no doctor, but I don't think this has anything to do with health. Someone did this to him, that's what my gut is telling me."_

"_But what could they have possibly done? I can't think of anything that-" Atem cut himself off. He froze, his eyes widening in fear._

Kate frowned. _What had Atem thought of? What does he know that I don't? _

She snapped out of her thoughts and stared at the briefcase. An idea bloomed in her mind and she smirked. _Forget what Atem knows, it's time to take matters into my own hands._

Kate opened the briefcase and looked inside. It was very neat, but this wasn't a surprise, Kaiba was pretty obsessive about being organized. It didn't take long for Kate to locate the item she needed.

She removed the blue access card and admired it. With the card, she would be able to access Kaiba's super computer, which essentially could connect to any computer in the city, maybe even the world. Kate was no computer genius like Kaiba, but she had seen him work before. She was confident that she would be able to find what she needed.

She bent down and dropped the card into her boot. She then closed the briefcase, grabbed it and left the office. Kaiba might be acting like a jerk again, but at least she could try to do something about her grandfather's condition.

Kate's heart pounded in her chest as she entered the kitchen. Mokuba and Atem were gone, leaving only Kaiba. He was leaning against the counter, patiently waiting for her. When she walked in his eyes darted to her. Kate suddenly felt uncomfortable.

He pushed off the counter and stood up to his full height. He stared down at her with an empty expression on his face as he took the briefcase. "Let's go."

He turned to leave and Kate slowly followed. Her stomach did flips as she frowned. _What is with him?_

He walked over to the passenger door of his convertible and opened the door for her. Although the gesture was polite, he still had an unsettling air about him. She sighed as she took her seat and Kaiba closed her door.

The drive to Kaiba Corp seemed to take hours. It was dead silent. Kate was doing her best to keep her eyes off of Kaiba, but she found that to be extremely difficult. Seto was glaring at the road in front of him as he pushed the gas pedal down, most likely going over the speed limit.

When they finally arrived, Kate was having a difficult time. She didn't want to care, she really didn't. But no matter how much she wanted to ignore it, she had to say something to him. They had to talk about this.

Kaiba killed the engine and released his seat belt. He opened the door and slid one leg out, but before the rest of his body could follow, he felt a firm hand grasp his upper arm. He turned to face Kate, who was staring blankly ahead.

"We need to talk," Kate murmured.

Kaiba hesitated for a moment. After a brief silence, he pulled his leg back into the car and closed the door. He then turned to Kate expectantly.

She refused to look him in the eye. "You're acting strangely today."

"I don't see how."

She sighed in exasperation. "Why are you acting so distant around me?"

Kaiba fidgeted impatiently. "I treat everyone the exact same way."

Her head snapped around to glare at him. "Somehow I find that hard to believe."

The two of them merely stared at each other for a moment. Kaiba seemed bored and impatient.

Kate's patience ran out. "I don't know what to do with you! One moment you're somewhat friendly and bringing me coffee, insisting that I spend the night at your place because you fear for my safety, and holding me when I need a shoulder to cry on. And now look! You're being such a…such an ass!"

Kaiba let his guard down for a brief moment, showing Kate how much her harsh accusation had hurt him. His brow creased in an expression of pain, but he quickly relaxed. His eyes met hers again, but he said nothing.

Kate sighed sadly, her emotion evident in her features. "I'm sorry…but I don't ask for much. All I wanted was to be friends, and I thought we were getting there. And then this morning you were the same as when I first met you…"

Kaiba frowned. "You don't want to be my friend, Kate. Trust me."

Kate shook her head. "That's for me to decide. You do care about me, I know it. You were there for me when I needed you, and you wouldn't have come to the hospital if you didn't care."

Kaiba's jaw clenched and he averted his eyes from hers. "I was empathizing with you. If Mokuba were in your grandfather's position, I would be in severe pain."

Kate's eyes stung. "Really, that's it? Tell me if I'm wrong, but I believe you told the hospital receptionist that I was your closest friend."

Kaiba looked up in surprise, his eyes widening. "You heard that…"

Kate laughed bitterly. "You're damn right I did."

He sighed and closed his eyes. "I'm not a very…trusting person. I find it hard to let people into my life…just ask Atem." He opened his eyes and stared into hers. "Recently I found myself face to face with what I had become. It scared me. I've been trying to be different, but change is uncomfortable for most people, including me."

Kate nodded in understanding. "I scared you into your old habits."

Kaiba nodded in response. "Look at Mokuba, Kate. I'm not a good person. Mokuba goes through so much shit because of me, and what do I give him in return? The occasional conversation and a pat on the head? Neglect? You don't want that."

Kate stared at him in wonder. "You don't give yourself enough credit, that boy loves you."

Kaiba looked away. "And I don't deserve it."

Kate shook her head. "Nonsense, you'd go to the ends of the earth to protect your little brother. You _have _gone to extremes to do so! You are an amazing brother to him, and you _are _a good man."

Kaiba shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He looked at her, and Kate nearly laughed. There was the faintest hint of a blush on his cheeks.

_So…the great Seto Kaiba gets embarrassed when he's praised? Who would've thought? _ Kate thought humorously.

He opened his mouth to protest, but Kate held up a hand. "Don't get all humble on me now, it's not your style."

Kaiba closed his mouth and nodded. They both exited the car and Kate made her way over to him. They walked to the building side by side. "So, _Mr. Kaiba, _what's on the agenda for today?"

"I don't have anything for you to do for me at the moment. I'll let you know when I do," he said, holding the door open for Kate.

Kate nodded. "I guess this is bye for now then, don't overwork yourself."

Kaiba shrugged. "I'll try."

Kate wrapped an arm around him in a brief hug. He hesitated, glancing around at all of the employees watching them. He smirked and returned the gesture. She pulled away and gave a small wave before leaving. Kaiba watched her for a moment before heading for the elevator.

Kaiba Corp employees stared at Kate as she passed. No one had ever gotten close to Seto Kaiba. No one had really even tried; they knew that it was a lost cause. Somehow, this girl had done something right.

Kate stopped by her desk for a moment. She put her foot up on her chair and slipped her hand inside her boot to retrieve the access card. She felt extremely guilty for swiping it. She considered taking it back to Kaiba and pleading with him to do as she asked, but she quickly dismissed that idea. She knew that he would be furious with her, and that he would never trust her again. She sighed. There was no going back now; she might as well do what she came to do.

She grabbed a pen off her desk and made her way to the elevator. She selected the second basement level and swiped the card when prompted, granting her access to that area. The elevator ride was short, and when she exited, she was faced with a massive computer system.

Kate took a deep breath as she stepped toward the main control panel. She typed in the code on the card and sat down.

_I need to get a look at my grandfather's computer. If I can find his last customer the night he went comatose, I might have a lead._

Kaiba was known to have amazing connections around Domino. It wasn't hard for Kaiba to access computers all over the city, but it was still illegal. There had been rumors of an investigation going on at the gun store, and this made Kate nervous.

After entering in quite a bit of information on her grandfather, she was prompted to type in a password. She hesitated. If she typed in the wrong password and there _was _an investigation going on, an alert might pop up on her grandfather's computer and she would have screwed Kaiba over big time. She massaged her temple and sighed. Was it really worth the risk?

Suddenly an idea hit her. "Katie lady," she whispered. She smiled fondly. Her grandfather used to sing an Irish tune to her when she was a little girl. The song was about a father singing about his daughter Katie. Her smile broadened as a lump formed in her throat. "That's my Katie, little lady, and I love her," she sang quietly, holding back tears. She shook herself out of her stupor and readied her fingers on the keyboard. She took a deep breath and typed in "katielady."

Her jaw dropped open when the system accepted the password. Quickly overcoming her shock, she searched through the customer logs. Names and addresses were listed as well as what items were bought and at what cost. She came to the most recent entry and frowned. It was incomplete.

There was a name and an address, even an item, but it hadn't been paid for. She knew that her grandfather would have deleted the entry if the customer had merely left. Something in her heart told her that this man knew something.

She removed the cap on her pen and began to write on her hand: "Yugi Mutou." The man's name sounded familiar. She remembered Kaiba mentioning a boy named Yugi Mutou at one point. She dismissed this and continued to write, copying down the address.

Deciding to do a little more research on Yugi, she prepared to use the computer once more. However, before she could do anything, the computer shut down. She hadn't touched anything, so she assumed that it had been done remotely. Fear struck her like a bolt of lightning. Only one person had the ability to do this.

The elevator ride up to Seto Kaiba's office was excruciatingly long and nerve-racking. Did he know that it had been her? Had he seen what she was doing? How mad was he?

The elevator doors opened and she drifted toward the doors like a ghost. The only sounds she could hear were her heart pounding nervously in her chest and her heavy breathing. Her hand shook as she reached for the door and pulled it open.

When she walked in, all external indications of her panic attack were gone. Underneath, however, she was still a wreck.

Kaiba was standing in front of the large window staring out over Domino. He didn't turn to face her and he didn't seem surprised that she had come either. A long, awkward silence descended upon the room. Kate held her breath.

"I presume you found a way to occupy your time until I found some use for you?" Kaiba's tone was cold.

Kate shivered. He knew. "I-I guess you could say that," she said, her voice shaking.

Kaiba turned to face her. He looked horrible. His face was twisted with a mix of angry and sad emotions. No, it was betrayal. Betrayal was the expression he wore, tearing Kate's heart apart at the seams.

"So that little speech you gave me this morning was just a ruthless tactic to get me on your side? Was it just some elaborate scheme to ensure that I wouldn't be angry with you for what you planned to do?" Kaiba's voice rose in volume as he spoke.

Kate was visibly shaken. She didn't know how to respond. "No…no Seto listen…"

"I trusted you! Against my better judgment, you convinced me to trust you and allow you to be a part of my life! That obviously meant _nothing _to you!" Kaiba was yelling now. He walked briskly toward her. "What you did was illegal! I don't know what you were doing exactly, but I know you were forcing your way into someone else's computer system, and I assure you, that is a criminal offense. What if it had been noticed? What if it had been traced back to Kaiba Corp, to _me_? Does that even matter to you?!"

Kate was stunned. She opened her mouth to speak, but only unintelligible sounds spilled out. Kaiba's fiery glare caught sight of the writing on her hand, and he reached his own hand out to grab it. Kate gasped in surprise.

Kaiba stared at the hand and read the text. He frowned and looked at Kate. "Why in the hell are you trying to locate Yugi Mutou?" Before she could speak, he held up his free hand. "Nevermind, I don't care. The fact of the matter is you used _my _access card to use _my _computer to find _Yugi Mutou_. Was it worth it Kate? Was it?!"

Kate tugged at her hand, trying to break free of Kaiba's grip. He merely stared at the hand for the longest time. Kate pulled back harder and Kaiba willingly released her, causing her to fall on her back.

The CEO glared down at the trembling blonde. "Needless to say, you're fired Ms. Chase. Have a nice life, and don't come back."

Kate pulled herself off the floor and sprinted away, refusing to look back at her boss. She hit the button for the lobby floor in the elevator and then collapsed once the doors closed. She sat there for a long time just crying and replaying the confrontation in her mind.

She really messed up. He was right. She had convinced him that he could let her in, that they could be friends and that he didn't have to be alone anymore. And as soon as she had that trust, she trashed it. She stabbed it and threw it to the floor without a moment's hesitation.

She buried her face in her hands as she wept. The doors opened, and she pulled herself up. Many employees stared at her as she walked out of the building, not one of them overlooking the tears streaking down her cheeks. She ignored their piercing eyes and continued on, set on finding this clue that had cost her so much.

--

By the time Kate arrived at the Mutou residence, she was done crying. Sure enough, Kaiba's words still stung, but she had to worry about questioning Yugi right now. Kaiba was a distraction.

She opened the door to the game shop only to be met with an old man. It seemed as if he was about to leave. He gave her a warm smile. "Can I help you with something?"

Kate nodded slowly. "I'm looking for Yugi Mutou."

The old man sighed. "That's my grandson. He spends most of his time up in his room. I'm about to head out, but you can go on up and visit him if you'd like. I must warn you though: he has been rather unpleasant lately."

Kate nodded and the old man left. She slowly climbed up the stairs, almost afraid of what she might discover once she met the boy. She entered a hallway with a couple of adjoining rooms. One of the doors was ajar, so Kate peeked inside.

It was a total mess. She wasn't sure it was really all that livable. A young man was lounging on the bed and staring up at the ceiling. Kate sighed. _That must be Yugi._

She pushed the door open and stepped inside. Yugi sat upright in surprise and stared at her. He looked her up and down for a moment and raised an eyebrow curiously. "Who might you be?"

Kate's jaw dropped. The boy looked almost exactly like Atem! He looked _slightly _younger and a lot paler, but other than that, they were basically twins. Yugi seemed to catch this and he frowned.

"You know him."

Kate assumed that he meant Atem and she nodded. This didn't seem to please Yugi at all. The young man pushed himself off his bed and walked over to her. Kate felt slightly intimidated by the look in his eyes, but she didn't allow this to show on the outside. "I need to ask you a couple of questions."

Yugi cocked his head to the side like a curious puppy. "Go for it."

"You were in Chase Gun Emporium two days ago, were you not?"

Yugi's expression darkened. "Yes, I was there."

He subtly tried to push her out the door, but it didn't work. She slipped past him, moving deeper into the room much to his dismay. She turned to face him once more. "Okay…so, did you make a purchase?"

Yugi really didn't like this girl. He moved toward her. "I planned to, but I changed my mind."

Kate backed away from him and into a piece of furniture. She turned around in surprise to see a desk. She gasped when she saw the gun Yugi had "planned to purchase" laying on the surface. She grabbed the gun and turned toward the boy.

"Changed your mind, huh?" She questioned angrily.

Yugi sneered at her. "Oops."

"What did you do to my grandfather?"

Yugi's eyes widened in surprise, but his eerie expression soon returned. "He's perfectly fine, I assure you."

Kate gritted her teeth angrily. "You know something! Tell me, you son of a-"

"Or what? What are you going to do, shoot me?"

Kate looked down at the gun. "No. I'm going to the police, you bastard."

Kate bolted for the door, running as fast as she could. Yugi was on her tail. They reached the stairs and Yugi lunged forward, taking both of them down rolling. At the bottom, Kate kicked Yugi as he tried to overpower her. She pulled herself up and ran for the door, but Yugi was too fast. He had gotten to his feet and blocked her exit.

He lashed out, grabbing the hand that was holding the gun. They both pulled on it, but Yugi was winning. Yugi put his other hand over the handle of the gun to ensure his victory, but before he could celebrate, a blood curdling crack was heard.

Kate's eyes widened and a gasp slipped past her lips. The hands that had just moments ago clung to the weapon now fell limp at her sides as she collapsed in a heap on the floor.

Yugi stared down at her feeling nothing. "HELP HER!" Atem cried out in his mind. Yugi suddenly felt horrified, as if a wall of emotion had hit him. He trembled, dropping the gun to the floor. He fell to his knees at Kate's side, pulling her closer.

"What…what have I done?" It seemed so surreal. Yugi had a hard time believing that he had actually shot someone. Tears spilled onto his cheeks. He shook the girl gently at first, growing more urgent every passing second.

"No…NO! PLEASE! WAKE UP!" He screamed at the top of his lungs. He screamed in pain. "I take it back, PLEASE! I TAKE IT BACK!" He stared down at the hand that had accidentally pulled the trigger. He felt himself crumbling from the inside out. He suddenly felt himself shrinking back into a corner of his own mind, as if he had completely lost himself. He didn't feel as much pain from what he had just done. He felt numb. The only thing going through his mind was to get out of there before someone found him with the body.

The smallest corner of his mind cried out for control again. It wanted to help the girl, to save her. But instead, it screamed in agony as Yugi left the girl bleeding on the floor and fled out the back door of the store.

--

**Finals are finally over, so I have more time to spend on this now. I hope you like the chapter! Tell me what you think! The story is going to be a lot more action packed and exciting from now on. So don't go anywhere!**


	10. Chapter 9

---

**Chapter Nine**

**---**

Joey stared at the graphic scene in front of him. He was as still as a statue, unable to move or think. Atem was shaking the girl desperately, screaming her name. It wasn't a girl that Joey recognized, but the pain still tore at his heart. Somehow Yugi, his little, innocent best friend Yugi had done this. He had attempted to kill someone…he had completely lost his mind. Tears slid down his face as he remembered his best friend, flashes of his childlike grin and laughter appearing in his mind. He ground his teeth together and tore his eyes away from the horrifying sight. _Yugi could never have done this…_

"JOEY!"

Joey looked back at Atem. Atem was watching him now, his eyes red with never ending tears. "A-Atem, what do we d-do?"

Atem didn't hesitate. "Call an ambulance! Hurry! We can still save her!"

Joey nodded and fumbled around for his cell phone. Finding it, he carefully punched in the correct numbers.

Atem heard Joey's plea to the emergency services, but it felt as if he was listening from underwater. Colors seemed to dim except for the blinding red of Kate's blood. Atem stared down at the girl's face, remembering the last time he had seen her. She had been smiling and laughing. Now she seemed to be on the doorstep of death itself.

Her eyes opened for just a moment, her brow furrowing in pain. She stared at Atem and tried to say something, but it took too much effort. In the end she was only able to utter one word: "Seto…"

Atem nodded. "I'll get him for you…I promise."

Kate's eyes closed again and her pained expression relaxed. Atem placed his hand over her wound, applying significant pressure. This was all he knew to do in such situations; he only hoped that it was enough.

Joey rushed to his side. "The paramedics are comin'."

Atem nodded. "Give me your jacket."

Joey shrugged off his coat and handed it to Atem. Atem placed it over Kate's wound and continued to press down hard. An uncomfortable silence settled around the room, sending chills down Joey's spine. Atem could think of nothing except Yugi. He bit down hard as he remembered his partner's old ways. The way he would always be concerned about others more than himself and how he would always try to comfort his other self when things seemed hopeless. Yugi had been his shining beacon of light when his life had seemed to be filled with nothing but darkness. Now his light was gone, and he was barely holding himself together.

Sirens were heard outside and medical professionals burst into the game store. They told Joey and Atem to back away from the victim. As they carefully lifted the girl onto the gurney, Joey pulled Atem out of the shop.

"Who is that girl?"

Joey's question brought Atem out of his distant thoughts. Atem looked at him. "She's…a friend. And Kaiba's personal assistant."

Joey scrunched his nose. "Kaiba? Poor girl."

Atem and Joey climbed into the ambulance. The paramedics pulled the gurney into the back of the vehicle and rushed to stabilize her. Atem stared blankly ahead. "Yugi's grandfather…his heart is going to break…"

Joey placed a hand on his shoulder. "I know. I'll contact him when we get to the hospital."

Atem shook his head. "No, I think I should be the one to do it. And then I have to call Kaiba…"

Joey shrugged. "Let me handle Kaiba."

Atem looked up at him. "I'm not sure if that's a good idea…"

Joey smirked. "Just trust me."

--

Seto Kaiba stared at the vehicle in front of him. He let out an impatient sigh and glared at it. The car was red, his favorite color. He had picked it out personally, but he would have never admitted it to anyone. He remembered the day he bought it as if it were yesterday:

_He tossed the keys onto the desk. The girl looked up in surprise, giving him a quizzical stare. Kaiba's face was expressionless, but inside he was highly amused. She looked back down at the keys and picked them up with her right hand. She gave them a jingle and glanced at Kaiba once more._

"_I don't get it."_

_Kaiba chuckled. "Follow me."_

_He began to walk away, and he heard the girl scrambling to catch up with him. When she did, they walked in silence to the exit of the Kaiba Corp building. When they reached the door, they walked outside. Kaiba pointed to one of the parking spaces and the girl gasped. It took everything in him not to smile._

_In the space was a red car. It wasn't a convertible or anything exceedingly expensive, but it was a very nice vehicle. It was definitely something the girl could not afford. She looked at Kaiba with gratitude, unable to express her feelings in words._

_Kaiba shrugged. "It's a company car. You're my employee, and I need you to be able to get here on time. The bus route you take is far too time consuming."_

_Kate smiled. "Right. You know, for a second, I thought you actually just bought the car for me."_

_Kaiba felt his cheeks get hot and he turned his attention back to the car. The truth was, he _had _bought it just for her. He had grown tired of her endless complaining over the bus, and he also pitied her for not being able to afford a car of her own. He frowned. Did he really pay her that little?_

"_That's a ridiculous thing to assume. I don't do things like that for employees."_

_Kate rolled her eyes. "I know boss. Thank you."_

_As she turned to walk to her desk once more, Kaiba stayed behind and stared at the car. He had been truthful. He didn't do things like that for his employees…but he did it for her. _

Kaiba tore his eyes away from the car. Anger rose in his heart again, but he did his best to contain it. That girl had made him question beliefs he had had for the majority of his life. That girl had angered him more than anyone else had as of late. She had hurt him far more than he would ever admit. He hated her now, not nearly up to the same level as Gozaburo, but it was enough.

However, the fact that the car remained in _his _driveway was unsettling. It had been about two hours since he had fired Kathryn Chase. She should have returned for her car and left. He frowned. _Did she not return because she still believes the car to be a company car? _Kaiba gave a half-hearted chuckle. "Why did I have to lie?"

His phone vibrated against his chest. He looked down in surprise and reached into his breast pocket to pull out the phone. He held it to his ear as he answered. "This is Kaiba."

"Hello Kaiba."

Kaiba's eyes widened in surprise, and he sneered in annoyance. "Wheeler…what do _you _want?"

He heard the boy sigh on the other end. "Come on, at least _try _to be nice for a moment."

Kaiba sighed as well. "Fine, what is it?"

"Well…I don't really know how to say it…" Joey paused, seemingly trying to find the right words to say. Kaiba grew impatient as he only heard silence on the other end.

"Out with it, mutt!" Kaiba growled.

"Your personal assistant is in the hospital, jack ass."

Kaiba froze. _What? He can't be serious… _"Former personal assistant, actually." Even he was surprised by the detachment in his tone.

"She was shot, Kaiba!"

Kaiba felt his heart lurch in his chest. "Stop playing games, Wheeler. Go back to your potty training; I think your master is calling."

He heard Joey growl on the other end. This caused him to smile, but he felt empty inside. "You're a heartless bastard, you know that? You don't even care! I shouldn't have even bothered to call; I should have known that you were still the same uncaring, pathetic businessman I knew."

Kaiba swallowed hard at his words. Even though he was acting coldly toward Joey, he felt horrible on the inside. He couldn't think of words to say. In any other situation, he would've hung up after the snide remarks Joey had just screamed at him. Now, however, he longed for the blonde to understand how he was feeling. He wanted him to know that he _did _care.

"Wheeler…" His plea got caught in his throat, and he couldn't bring himself to say anything more.

"Whatever, money bags, do whatever makes you happy. That seems to be the only thing you're good at these days."

Joey hung up before Kaiba could say another word. Kaiba stared at the phone in shock. He honestly didn't know what to feel. On one hand, the pain of Kate's betrayal still burned in his chest. On the other, she had been shot and was lying in the hospital fighting for her life.

He didn't even think about it. He walked toward the red car in a daze. He opened the door and pulled himself into the driver's seat. The car was very neat on the inside, and the keys were still in the ignition. He sat there for a while, just taking in the interior. There was a slight scent of perfume in the air, causing Kaiba's stomach to do flips. It was her perfume. He inhaled deeply and closed his eyes, covering his face with his hands. His lips began to quiver and a few stray tears leaked onto his hands. The thought that Kate might never be able to drive this car, to spray that perfume, or even to cry again was unbearable.

Kaiba wasn't the kind of man that cried often. He had cried when he thought that Mokuba had been turned against him years ago, but he hadn't been in enough pain to cry since. Now here he was, sitting in the car of his former employee, with a conflicted heart and guilt ridden tears.

--

When his friends needed something, Tristan Taylor would stop at nothing to help them. It was because of this that he didn't hesitate when Atem called.

"Tristan…?"

Tristan gasped. Atem sounded so weak and defeated. He feared for the former Pharaoh, for he wasn't sure how much the poor man could take.

"Yeah, Atem? You alright buddy?"

He heard Atem sigh, and his heart sunk. _What happened at Yugi's?_

"When Joey and I arrived at the game shop, we found a girl named Kate lying on the floor with a gunshot wound. I presume that it was Yugi that…" The Pharaoh couldn't finish his sentence.

Tristan heard him struggling to hold back his tears. "No way…Yugi couldn't have…no…" Tristan frowned, his hand tightening on the phone. "The Yugi we know would never hurt anyone, but he's gone now. Don't you see it, Pharaoh? Something has to be done!"

Atem sighed again. "I know, Tristan. He is lost within himself. If I had stayed…this wouldn't be happening."

Tristan shook his head. "No, Pharaoh, don't blame yourself! This is on Yugi, all of it." Atem didn't respond, and Tristan felt guilty for unleashing his anger toward Yugi on the person who least likely wanted to hear it. "I'm sorry. What do you need me to do?"

"There is no need for you to apologize. I need you to come to the hospital, bring Téa…someone needs to keep an eye out for Yugi's grandfather. I called him first and told him that there was an emergency. Joey and I can't leave Kate right now."

"I'll be there right away."

Tristan hung up the phone and looked over at Téa. She had been watching him as the call came through, and she didn't look pleased. She knew that Yugi had done something horrible, but she wasn't sure that she wanted to know what it was.

She stood up. "Come on, Tristan. I'll take you wherever you need to go."

Tristan nodded and stood up as well. "The hospital."

Téa looked at him sadly. "Okay then…the hospital it is."

--

To say that Atem was a mess would be an understatement. The former Pharaoh looked unstable in every sense of the word. He was like a tower made of cards. He seemed stable and structured from a distance, but up close, you could tell that one push would cause him to collapse. He was standing on the edge of the abyss, and Yugi's madness was threatening to push him in.

He sat in the hospital waiting room with his face in his hands. He could feel himself being drained of any shred of happiness. He knew that he wouldn't be able to take much more of this insanity, no matter how strong he was.

He nearly laughed. He was able to defeat the creator of the Shadow Realm, but when it came to Yugi losing himself to darkness, he was in shambles. No summoning of the Egyptian Gods would save his partner. He wouldn't be able to use any kind of power to sweep the darkness out of his heart. He would have to rely on his connection to his other half and the good part of him that still dwelled within his heart.

Someone cleared his throat above him, and Atem raised his head. A doctor stood there with a clipboard in his hand. "We need to operate quickly to remove the bullet. Unfortunately, we need a family member to sign for it."

Atem gritted his teeth. Kate's family was already in the hospital…but he was in a coma. "If she doesn't get the operation right away…will she die?"

The doctor looked down at the clipboard as he spoke. "The bullet is lodged near her spine. The sooner we can get in and remove the bullet, the more likely she will survive, and hopefully without paralysis."

Atem winced and looked down at the floor. "I have no way of contacting her father."

"She doesn't need her father."

Atem's head snapped up and the doctor turned around. Seto Kaiba stood there, his eyes red and tired. Atem felt pained at the sight of him.

The doctor looked at him skeptically. Joey walked over with coffee in his hands and he stared at Kaiba in surprise. He looked between the doctor and Kaiba as he drank.

"Is that so? Who are you supposed to be?" The doctor asked impatiently.

Kaiba's eyes darted to Atem, and they stared at each other for a brief moment before Kaiba responded. "I'm her fiancée."

Joey's eyes widened and he choked on his coffee. Atem held back a laugh, silently thanking Kaiba for the humorous moment.

The doctor obviously had no way of proving this, but he was intent on doing his job. "Very well. After the surgery I'm going to need you to fill out some paperwork."

Kaiba nodded and the doctor left. He looked at Atem and Joey. Both men were barely containing their laughter.

Kaiba sighed and almost smiled. "Go ahead, you can laugh if you'd like."

Atem didn't, but Joey wasn't going to reject the offer. He nearly spilled his coffee in the midst of his outburst. Atem smiled as he watched his friend. Both men still felt immense pain in their hearts, but for this short time, they were able to enjoy themselves.

Atem looked at Kaiba. "Why did you say it?"

Kaiba shrugged. "It was the first thing that came to mind. She needed the surgery, and an engagement isn't exactly easy to disprove."

Atem nodded. "That was very wise of you."

Kaiba looked away. "I try."

Joey's laughter died down and he gazed at Kaiba with praising eyes. "I knew you weren't heartless deep down, Kaiba."

Kaiba frowned and turned his back on them. "I'm going to get some fresh air," he said, walking away from them.

He stepped outside and breathed in deeply. The air around him was chilly and caused him to shiver. Winter wasn't normally all that cold in Domino, but it wasn't exactly warm either. He actually preferred the cold weather. It cleared his mind and gave him focus, whereas warm weather seemed to cloud his thoughts. The crisp air he inhaled was refreshing.

He looked down the street as a familiar car came into view. He knew it was Téa's car, and he felt slightly annoyed at the sight of it. The Gardner girl didn't know Kate, so why the hell was she there?

Two figures emerged, and Kaiba assumed that the other was Tristan. He couldn't exactly tell because of the distance, but he felt pretty confident. They ran up to the entrance closest to them, Tristan gesturing for Téa to continue onward while he stayed behind. Kaiba raised an eyebrow, but didn't move in their direction.

--

Tristan stood very still and surveyed the area. He was trying to keep an eye out for Yugi's grandfather, but he found it very hard to concentrate on his task. His thoughts kept going back to Yugi and his new behavior. What had happened to the boy they knew and loved? Would they ever see him again?

Tristan sighed. He felt so angry at Yugi for what he had done, and he feared for what he might do next. He clenched his hands into fists as he thought of the possibilities. He shook those thoughts away and continued to look around. When his eyes settled on a tuft of tri-colored hair, he nearly doubled over in shock.

He blinked, but it wasn't going away. It was Yugi. He could see him attempting to conceal himself in a dark alleyway. Tristan tried to make it seem like he hadn't seen him. He could feel Yugi's eyes on him.

He averted his eyes from the spot forcefully, and they landed on Kaiba. He raised an eyebrow at the sight of the young CEO. He too was watching Tristan from a distance.

Tristan looked away from him as well. Out of the corner of his eye, he tried to keep watch over Yugi. He was determined to confront his friend, but there had to be a right time. He was afraid that if he approached him now, Yugi would either flee or do something rash. He couldn't exactly count on Kaiba to back him up, they weren't really friends.

Tristan hugged his arms to his chest in an attempt to warm himself up. He didn't have to wait long, however, because Yugi left the alleyway. In the light of the sunset, it was obvious that it was Yugi. He didn't even look at Tristan or Kaiba as he walked in the opposite direction down the street.

Tristan inhaled deeply and saw this as his chance. It was now or never. He walked slowly in pursuit of Yugi. He didn't want to alert the boy to his presence.

--

Kaiba frowned. He saw Yugi leave the alley. He felt his anger pulsing in his veins at the sight of him. As much as he had grown to like the boy, that was all finished now. This boy had ripped Atem to shreds and then proceeded to shoot Kate. That definitely wasn't a way to get on his good side.

He sighed. Tristan had started to follow Yugi. Kaiba wasn't sure if Yugi knew of this yet or not, but he knew that this couldn't end well. He felt slightly concerned for Tristan after seeing what Yugi was capable of. After a small argument within himself, he knew that he had to back Tristan up if something went wrong. It was the right thing to do. After a brief hesitation, he began to walk after the two boys.

--

Yugi walked slowly. He didn't want his prized salmon to lose sight of the bait now, did he? He smirked as he stroked the Millennium Puzzle with his hand. Tristan didn't know that he was aware of his little recon mission. It was time to test his new ability and begin to wipe away everything that held him back.

--

**Okay, so I kind of lied. This chapter was more of a transition chapter, but believe me, the next one will be exciting…at least I think it is. **


	11. Chapter 10

---

**Chapter Ten**

**---**

Yugi sighed deeply, his breath coming out in a white puff in front of him. He had wanted to enter the hospital, but Tristan _and _Kaiba had been in the way. He felt as if he had to make up for what he had done.

He shook his head angrily. No matter how hard he tried to fight it, a corner of his heart ached with guilt over shooting the girl. He wanted to ignore it, but it proved to be useless.

"Maybe you're not completely lost, then."

Yugi sighed again and ignored the voice. He wasn't surprised when he heard it anymore. As much as he despised it, the voice was a part of him, and he couldn't just lock it away somewhere. He raised an eyebrow. _Or can I?_

He smirked. _Maybe there is a way…_

He heard gravel stir behind him, and he suddenly remembered Tristan. His grin widened. He had almost forgotten about his old friend. He looked down at the Puzzle. He traced the eye with his forefinger absent-mindedly, humming under his breath.

He looked up again, his eyes locking onto a dark alleyway. He decided to use the alley to conceal his act from prying eyes. Tristan wouldn't be leaving that alleyway. Not on his own, anyway.

Yugi picked up the pace and sprinted toward the darkness. He could hear Tristan trying to keep up with him. He chuckled softly.

When he reached the alley, he walked forward into the dark. He stood with his back to the entrance, eagerly awaiting Tristan's arrival. He didn't have to wait long.

He heard heavy footfalls and strained breathing behind him. Yugi waited for Tristan to catch his breath for a moment before speaking.

"You aren't exactly a master of stealth, are you Tristan?"

There was a short silence behind him. "I never said I was."

Yugi grinned. "You shouldn't have followed me."

He heard Tristan moving closer to him. "Why, are you going to kill me like you tried to kill that girl Kate?"

Yugi's grin faded instantly. "You have no idea what you're talking about."

Tristan laughed. "I think I do, Yugi! You shot her in cold blood! What has happened to you? You're pathetic!"

Yugi whirled around to face him. "_I'm _pathetic? If I recall, you are the one that hangs around friends that don't even acknowledge you half of the time! Your friends don't care about you at all! You're _worthless!_" Yugi's words dripped with venom.

Tristan gawked at him. He could hardly believe that it was Yugi he was talking to. His eyes lowered to the Millennium Puzzle. Suddenly, Yugi's insults seemed unimportant. "Yugi, where did you get the Puzzle? It was supposed to be gone…forever."

Yugi looked down at it. "In a moment of weakness, I took it to remember _him _by. But now it's so much more than that. It's the key to my freedom." Yugi looked up at Tristan again and smirked. His eyes bore a deadly warning as he stared at his prey. "Do you want to see how it works? You won't feel a thing, not really…"

Tristan suddenly felt cold. Yugi had control of the Puzzle's power. He stared into Yugi's eyes. "What have you done?" For a moment he didn't know why he had asked that question, but it was obvious that this wouldn't be the first time Yugi had used the power of the Shadows.

Yugi chuckled. "There's fear in your eyes, Tristan. I so hoped I would see that."

Tristan stepped toward him angrily. "What have you done?!" He repeated frantically.

Yugi scowled at him. "It's just like going to sleep…for a very long time."

Tristan stared at him. "You've killed before."

Yugi laughed. The empty sound echoed off the alley walls. "No."

Kaiba reached the alley. He hid behind the wall and peeked around the corner to watch the altercation take place.

Suddenly, a light seemed to come on in Tristan's mind. Realization lit up his eyes, and he glared at Yugi. "It all makes sense now. The news story about that old man, it's all because of _you."_

Yugi raised an eyebrow amusedly. "How do you figure?"

Tristan stepped even closer. "The owner of a gun shop falls into a coma that no doctor can explain, and suddenly you turn up with the Millennium Puzzle around your neck and a _gun_? It has to be you!"

Kaiba looked on with wide eyes. _Yugi put Kate's grandfather into a coma…that's why she had Yugi's address, she somehow found evidence and wanted to question him…and that's why he shot her._

"Very good, Mr. Taylor. You get a gold star on your homework tonight."

Tristan lunged forward and grabbed Yugi by the collar. "A gold star on my homework? This isn't the time for sarcasm, you bastard! What has happened to you? I miss my best friend!"

Yugi snarled at him. "Your best friend is gone, you pathetic worm. But don't worry, you can have the _Pharaoh_, I'm sure he needs friends right now."

Tristan shook Yugi violently. "How can you just throw your closest friend into the dirt the way you did? He loves you more than anything, and you thrashed him! I've never seen him so weak!"

Yugi gritted his teeth angrily. "He left me! He abandoned me! He left me broken, but now I'm stronger than ever without him pulling me down! He could go to hell for all I care!"

"You don't mean that, Yugi." Atem called out in his mind.

Yugi groaned furiously. "I do! I mean it! Leave me alone!"

Tristan eyed him curiously, as did Kaiba in the distance. "I didn't say anything," Tristan growled, watching him as if he were a mental patient.

Yugi threw his head against Tristan's forcefully. The brunette staggered backward, holding his head with one of his hands. Yugi pushed him against the alley wall and held him there. "Don't look at me like I'm insane!"

Tristan stared deep into his eyes. "I don't know how I can't, you _are _insane."

Yugi kneed Tristan in the stomach. Tristan doubled over, clutching the area that was hit. Yugi then pulled Tristan's head to his knee in a flash, causing him to fall over completely disoriented.

Kaiba was frozen. He wanted to do something, but for some reason, his feet wouldn't move. _Is Yugi going to kill him? No…he couldn't possibly…_

Yugi flipped Tristan over onto his back. He knelt beside him and looked down into Tristan's wide eyes with a smirk. He slowly reached out to Tristan's face, tracing the side of his cheek with his forefinger. He chuckled in delight. "Good night, old friend."

Kaiba's eyes locked onto the Millennium Puzzle as it began to glow. He watched in horror as the light left Tristan's eyes and they closed indefinitely.

"NO!"

Yugi looked up in surprise. Kaiba's hands flew to his mouth as he realized that the scream had come from his own lips.

Yugi spotted him and stood. Kaiba sprinted past him and pulled Tristan to his chest. "What have you done?!"

Yugi looked at him, still frozen in shock. _How did I not know he was there?_

"He's fine."

Kaiba glared at him. "He doesn't look fine! Come to your senses, Yugi! I knew something was wrong with you, but I didn't think you had turned into a complete psychopath!"

Yugi frowned. "I'm not insane."

Kaiba laughed darkly. "Who are you trying to convince, me, or yourself?"

Yugi lunged at him, but Kaiba pulled himself away in time. Kaiba grabbed Tristan's arms and attempted to drag him away, but he was too slow. Yugi had stood up again, and he was walking toward Kaiba with determination in his eyes.

"You will suffer the same fate as Tristan. Don't worry, it won't hurt."

Kaiba looked down at Tristan sadly. If he wanted to get away, he would have to drop Tristan. Kaiba sighed and let go. He quickly turned around and darted away, leaving Yugi and Tristan behind.

That didn't last long. Yugi raced to catch up with him. Kaiba's heart pounded in his chest as he frantically searched for a place to hide. He knew that Yugi was fast, and he wasn't confident that he would be able to keep up their game of cat and mouse for long.

"You're already getting tired, aren't you?"

As Yugi said those words, Kaiba felt his legs beginning to give out on him. His throat began to close up and it became difficult for him to breathe. He felt himself slowing down, and fear crept into his heart. He growled in irritation and surged forward, pushing himself to the limits.

He saw a garbage can on the side of the alleyway and grabbed it. He cast it over his back at Yugi. When he heard the boy yell in surprise, he smiled.

He quickly turned a corner and saw a door. He moved toward it desperately. _Maybe if I go in before he catches up and sees me, he will think he has lost me…it's worth a try._

He pushed on the door, sighing in relief when it opened. He slipped inside and closed the door quietly. He blindly ran from it, not able to see a single thing in the darkness of the room. He fell to his knees and attempted to catch his breath.

Kaiba heard the door creak open, and he held his breath. He heard faint footsteps on the hard, stone floor. He then winced as Yugi's laughter echoed throughout the room.

"I know you're in here, Kaiba."

Kaiba said nothing. He held his breath and stood completely still, hoping that Yugi was just bluffing.

"Don't worry, I've decided not to harm you. But do me a favor and deliver a message to my partner, will you?"

Kaiba closed his eyes and sighed. "What is the message?" He called out shakily.

Yugi chuckled. "He will be alone in the end, just like me."

Kaiba's eyes snapped open as he heard the footsteps again. He reprimanded himself for giving away his position, but he soon relaxed when he heard the door open and close again.

He sat in the dark for a while, trying to comprehend everything that had occurred. Tristan was gone somehow, and it had something to do with the Millennium Puzzle. He allowed his face to fall into his hands as he stood. His breathing was easier now, but he was shaking all over. After another brief moment of silent contemplation, he walked toward the exit to collect Tristan.

--

"Atem? Pharaoh?"

Atem blinked. He had zoned out again. He seemed to be doing that a lot as of late.

"Yes? I apologize."

Joey shook his head. "Don't worry about it. Uh…Yugi's grandfather is here…but Tristan is just gone. He isn't where Téa said he was, and Yugi's grandpa hasn't seen him."

Atem frowned and nodded. "Where is Solomon?"

Joey jerked his head in the direction of a short old man frantically checking his pockets. Atem sighed and stood, slowly approaching the man.

"Grandpa."

Solomon looked up at him in surprise. "Oh, Yugi! You're alright! What did you want to tell me, and why are we here?"

Atem looked pained. "Gra- I mean…Solomon. I'm not Yugi, and Yugi is _not _alright."

Solomon frowned for a moment before realization settled in. "You're…my boy, you're the Pharaoh…"

Atem closed his eyes and nodded. "Yes. I came here to help him…but I seem to have made it worse."

Solomon eyed him skeptically. "Worse? How did it get worse?"

Atem's eyes opened again. "Yugi…Yugi shot someone."

Solomon gawked at him. "No…no! You can't be serious! My Yugi would never do such a thing!"

Atem averted his eyes from Solomon. "I'm afraid he has…we found her on the floor of the game shop."

Solomon nodded. "Yes…I thought Yugi had just spilled something…it was…it was _blood_…" The old man began to sob, and the sight tore Atem's heart in two.

"I'm so sorry gra- Solomon, I really am…"

"Don't apologize to me! It's your fault! My Yugi was sweet, and innocent, and…and…and he was a child at heart! You broke him! You ruined his life!"

Atem stiffened. Tears rolled down his cheeks as he thought about Solomon's words. "You're right…it is my fault."

Joey stepped in angrily. "No, it's not his fa-"

Joey stopped midsentence. He froze as he saw two men stumble into the hospital, and only one of them was conscious.

Atem looked up at Joey curiously. "Joey…what's wrong?"

Joey pointed in the direction of the two men. Atem's eyes followed, and his knees nearly buckled at the sight in front of him.

"Tristan…"

Kaiba's hair was a mess and there was dirt on his white shirt. He was distressed and was obviously having difficulty supporting Tristan. Joey ran to his side and helped him pull Tristan in further.

Atem stared at Tristan in shock. His eyes were closed and he seemed to have a large bruise on his head.

"TRISTAN!"

Atem didn't even turn to look at the source of the scream. Téa threw herself at the unconscious brunette, shaking him desperately. "Tristan, look at me…open your eyes and look at me, damn it!"

Atem's eyes slowly made their way to Kaiba's. Seto was staring at him as well, as if he were waiting for something. "What…what happened…" Atem whispered hoarsely.

Kaiba grimaced. "Yugi appeared out of nowhere and Tristan followed him…so I followed Tristan. They went into an alleyway, and when I caught up, they were fighting. Yugi started talking to himself, and Tristan accused him of being insane… obviously things got physical…and as hard as it may be to believe, Yugi had the upper hand." He paused and looked over at Tristan, who was now in Joey's arms as nurses tried to pry them apart. He sighed at the sight, feeling an immense amount of empathy toward Joey.

Atem stepped closer to Kaiba. "Please…go on."

Kaiba looked at him again. "Yugi had the Millennium Puzzle."

Atem's eyes fell to the floor, for he knew what happened next. There was no other explanation: Yugi had stolen Tristan's soul and sealed it within the Puzzle. How had it come to this? How had Yugi fallen into such complete darkness?

Atem felt as if he were drowning. Air seemed to get caught in his throat as he tried to breathe. All sounds seemed to be heard from miles away. He could feel himself losing his grip on reality as Kaiba spoke his next words: "He gave…message…tell you…'You…alone…like me…'" Kaiba's words seem to only come through to him in muffled pieces, but Atem was able to put them together well enough.

Atem stumbled backward. Everything became extremely hazy. All of the colors seemed to fade and he couldn't distinguish one thing from another. Though his eyes were open, he couldn't see. Everything seemed to be a vast gray mass in his vision. Nothing seemed to exist except for his own thoughts, and only one thought seemed to resonate clearly in his mind: _I already am alone without you, aibou._

Atem struggled for words. Yugi had used the Shadows to seal Tristan's soul in the Puzzle…Yugi was evil. He had to stop him…but how? How could he possibly go up against his partner, his other half? He couldn't…this was the one thing he knew he couldn't do.

He tried to speak, but he found that he was unable to. Atem faintly felt arms wrapping around him as if he had collapsed. He didn't know what else was going on, nor did he care. All he could see was Yugi. He frantically tried to come up with ideas to save his friend, but it seemed to be too late. _Is Yugi beyond saving?_

"Atem! ATEM! Snap out of it, buddy! ATEM!"

Joey shook the Pharaoh, but he didn't respond at all. His eyes didn't move, he didn't even seem to hear Joey's pleas.

Kaiba stared down at Atem. "I guess he finally had enough…it was too much for him to handle."

As nurses hurriedly carted Tristan away, Téa ran around frantically. "Doctor! I need a doctor over here!"

The same doctor that had operated on Kate hastened over to them. "What's going on?"

Téa pointed at Atem shakily. "I don't know! He just…stopped responding. It's like he's not even here."

The doctor frowned and knelt in front of Atem. He shined a flashlight in each of Atem's eyes, pursing his lips when he noticed no response in either of them.

"I'm not a psychiatrist, but I believe he has gone into a catatonic state, meaning he has a severe lack of motor skills and won't respond to external stimuli. Usually it is caused by a pre-existing mental condition, but there are times when severe stress and depression can result in catatonia. There isn't much we can do for him…but hopefully it won't be a permanent condition. We can admit him in the psychiatric ward…"

Kaiba stepped forward. "That won't be necessary, doctor. Thank you for your help."

The doctor looked at him. "Ah yes, the fiancée. She is out of surgery, you know. I was very surprised to see that her loving future husband was nowhere to be found when she came through."

Kaiba frowned. "Are you saying that I don't love her?"

Joey looked up at him. "Are you saying that you do?"

Kaiba's frown deepened. "Look, your job isn't to be a relationship counselor, it is to save lives. Now stop wasting your time and get to it!"

The doctor raised an eyebrow and left without another word. Joey continued to stare at Kaiba, but the CEO didn't pay him any attention. He looked over at Atem, who was staring blankly at his own lap. Kaiba frowned. He had never seen Atem in such a weak condition…and it thoroughly disturbed him. He wished that he could help him, but he knew that he wouldn't be able to.

Kaiba turned to address Joey and Téa. "Look, without Yugi, you two are the only ones that can bring him out of this. I'm counting on you."

Joey frowned. "Where are you going?"

Kaiba turned his back on them. "It's time for me to make amends."

--

**I hope you guys like this chapter! Atem's catatonic state is going to be interesting, I promise. I'm hoping to write the next chapter soon, but I want to give you a little insight: Marik and Ishizu didn't just show up for that one chapter. I felt like readers might think that was a totally out there, barely connected to the main plot, chapter. In fact, I felt like that for a while, so maybe it was just me. Anyway, review please! **


	12. Chapter 11

---

**Chapter Eleven**

**---**

_Silence._

_That's all there was now: silence._

_Atem wasn't even sure he felt the pain of Yugi's betrayal any longer. He just felt numbed. Maybe that was for the best. It gave him the chance to focus…or at least to try._

_His thoughts seemed to be buzzing through his mind like flies, and he couldn't catch a single one. Even without the distraction of the outside world, he still couldn't think of a way to stop the madness that awaited him once he snapped out of this._

_He wasn't even entirely sure what had happened to him. He knew he wasn't dead, and he knew that he wasn't asleep…at least not exactly. From time to time he would hear the voices of his friends in bits and pieces, begging him to come back. How could he return when he wasn't even sure of where he was?_

_His mind felt like an endless desert shrouded in fog. It seemed as if he had been wandering for hours to no avail. He was frustrated. At least the Millennium Puzzle had been somewhat interesting; it had contained many doors and staircases leading to peculiar rooms or traps. Now he felt alone in a pool of nothing. _

_Suddenly, there seemed to be a dim light behind the fog. Atem stared at it, relieved and surprised. It came closer, and soon he could see the outline of a person through the haze. When the man came into full view, Atem was less than thrilled to see him._

"_Bakura?"_

_It wasn't Ryou. It was the former Spirit of the Millennium Ring. It was obvious by the unfriendly look on his face. A soft golden light emanated from him, which was incredibly ironic in Atem's eyes. His old nemesis merely stared at him, neither resentment nor amusement were in his eyes. _

_Atem stepped toward him. "Bakura, what is going on? Where am I, and why am I here?"_

_A smirk crossed Bakura's face. He said nothing and gestured with his finger for Atem to follow him. He then turned his back on the Pharaoh and walked into the fog once more._

_Atem sighed angrily and followed. The two of them walked for what seemed like ages, and not one thing in their surroundings changed. Atem barely contained his frustrations as they continued to press on into the vast cloud of fog that was his mind._

_Bakura came to a sudden halt and held out an arm to block Atem from walking any further. The evil Spirit turned to the Pharaoh and watched him expectantly, as if he thought the man knew what was supposed to happen next. Atem frowned._

"_I don't see what the point of all of this was! Why have we stopped now, nothing is different!"_

_Bakura scowled at him. "Listen!" He hissed venomously._

_Atem was slightly unnerved by the voice, but he did as he was told. He strained his ears as the silence enveloped them. They stood there for the longest time, and just as Atem was about to give up, he heard voices._

_He couldn't distinguish words, but the voices were getting louder and louder. Atem looked in the direction of the sound as he finally understood the next words:_

"_The world's strongest force answers to me!"_

_Atem blinked. "Could it…could it be…?"_

_Bakura chuckled beside him. Atem ran forward. The fog suddenly cleared, and he found himself teetering over a ledge. He gasped in surprise as he threw himself backward. Bakura appeared at his side shortly after._

_Atem stared at the ground. He knew this memory; yes…he knew it all too well. He couldn't bring himself to look up, but the sounds and voices he heard were enough to stab at his heart. _

"_Face your past, Pharaoh, don't be a coward."_

_Atem frowned at the unfriendly voice, but he slowly raised his eyes to the duel taking place in front of him._

_He saw himself…but he was in Yugi's body. The Millennium Puzzle still hung around his neck, and he looked exactly like Yugi did now…except for one minor addition. The Seal of Orichalcos was on his forehead, and a menacing glare marred his features. _

_Atem shook his head. "Why…why?! This is the past! Why must I relive it?" He yelled in anguish. He remembered exactly what had happened on this day…he remembered what he had lost. He shook his head again. "No, I won't let this happen! I can't!"_

_He tried to run, but Bakura caught his arm. "Don't be a fool, this is only a memory. This isn't a chance for redemption."_

_Atem turned to face him angrily. "Why are you doing this to me? Why are you even here?"_

_Bakura smirked. "I am your guide."_

_Atem sneered at him, but said nothing. Bakura's grip tightened on his arm and his smirk faded into a serious expression. "Time, forward," he commanded icily._

_Atem's eyes widened as everything seemed to swirl around him. If not for Bakura holding him so tightly, he surely would have fallen over from the dizziness. He shut his eyes, hoping to shut out all of the images he knew he would see. Unfortunately that didn't work._

"_I won't let this happen to you!"_

_Atem's eyes shot open at the sound of that voice. It was his…Yugi's. The voice of the boy he loved so dearly. It was the voice of his partner. It wasn't the menacing tone he used now, it was the innocent, loving voice he had grown so fond of. Atem was positive that his actual body was crying at the sound of it._

_Atem watched with disdain as Yugi's soul was taken by the Orichalcos. His memory self screamed in agony for Yugi to return, but Atem merely stared at the place where his partner had been. He turned to Bakura and fell to his knees. He closed his eyes and clenched his hands into fists. "Does this please you? Digging up old, hurtful memories and throwing them in my face? Tell me what you want and be gone!" Atem cried out._

_Bakura didn't laugh as Atem had expected him to. "As much as you may think it pleases me to see you in pain that is not why I am here. There is a much greater purpose to these memories, and you are not yet realizing this! Open your eyes Pharaoh, and look at what is right in front of you!"_

_Atem slowly opened his eyes. The scene had changed again, and he found himself kneeling in sand. He looked up and saw himself walking into a circle. He remembered that circle. It was where he had confronted Yugi's soul after losing him to the Orichalcos. _

_Atem stood and watched as his partner materialized in front of him. He approached his memory self and watched the next events unfold at his side. _

_He remembered the duel by heart. It had been one of the worst moments of his life. He had thought that Yugi had turned on him. He had thought that Yugi hated him._

_He averted his eyes from the scene. Now Yugi _did _hate him. Yugi _had _turned on him. His worst nightmare was coming true, and he couldn't do anything to help…_

"_You don't get it do you? You and I are exactly the same! So the darkness that is inside your heart is also inside _my _heart!"_

_Atem winced at the sound of those words. He hadn't thought that to be possible…there was nothing dark about Yugi's heart. It had always been pure and loving…but in the end, he had been right after all._

"_Do you see yet?"_

_Atem's eyes widened as he looked up at Bakura. His face had softened…it was much more innocent looking. "Ryou…"_

_Ryou gave him a sad smile. "Do you understand?"_

_Atem shook his head as he glanced up in time to see the end of the duel. "No…I honestly don't."_

_He followed his memory self as he rushed to Yugi's side with Ryou in tow. His memory self held his partner gingerly as tears flowed from his eyes._

"_You passed the test pal…by defeating me, you were able to defeat the darkness within your heart. It wasn't easy, but you did what was best for me and mankind. You acted like a true hero."_

_Atem's face twisted in misery as he watched his memory of Yugi lovingly. His heart ached for his partner, he missed him more than the trees missed rain. _

_He turned to Ryou. "Why can't you just tell me?"_

_Bakura stepped out from behind Ryou. Atem stepped back in surprise at the sight of them separate from one another. Bakura laughed. "You're a fool. We are just a reflection of your own thoughts. Deep down, you already have the answer, but you are just too pathetic to see it!"_

_Atem glared at him. "I would never think to call myself pathetic."_

_Bakura raised an eyebrow amusedly. "But why not, if that's what you are? You are wallowing in your guilt and pain while your 'partner' is going mad! You were the one that brought those memories back to the forefront of your mind, now you need to realize why!"_

_Bakura wrapped his arms around Ryou possessively and held him tight. Ryou looked slightly uncomfortable and avoided Bakura's eyes as he tried to pull free. Bakura chuckled for a brief moment before looking at Atem once more. He stared into the Pharaoh's eyes, and in that moment, Atem finally knew._

_It made sense. Bakura and Ryou represented Yugi. Bakura was the darker, more dominant part of Yugi while Ryou was the good that was left inside of him. Yugi's darkness had his light in a chokehold, much like Bakura was doing to Ryou. _

"_I…I understand now."_

_Bakura raised an eyebrow. "Do tell."_

"_Yugi saved me from the darkness within my heart during the Orichalcos ordeal…and now I must do the same for him. I cannot defeat his inner darkness, but I must help him to defeat it himself."_

_Ryou smiled. "That's right."_

_Atem frowned. "But how? When Yugi helped me, I was desperately _trying _to drive away the darkness. Yugi is so far gone that I won't be able to save him by simply allowing him to see himself from the outside."_

_Bakura released Ryou and approached the Pharaoh. "Like I said, idiot, we are the same person. Now stop talking to yourself and figure it out."_

--

Kaiba wasn't sure how long he had stood there in the doorway. He almost felt as he shouldn't be there. He stared at Kate for the longest time. She was lying peacefully on the hospital bed, unconscious.

Kaiba sighed as he slowly made his way to her bedside. He gazed down at her and waited as if he thought she was going to wake up. Instead she remained completely stationary, and Kaiba didn't really know what to do.

"It helps if you talk to them, you know."

He looked up in surprise at the voice. A nurse was watching him with a smile on her face. "That's just what they say. Sometimes they can hear you…so give her something to come back to."

Kaiba frowned. "You expect me to talk to someone that can't talk back?"

The nurse raised her hands in surrender. "It was just a suggestion, mister. I'll leave you alone, I apologize for my intrusion." The nurse left, and Kaiba was once again alone with Kate.

He looked down at her again and shook his head. "Talking to someone that's unconscious…that's ridiculous."

He sat down in a chair next to the bed and sat there for a while. Unbeknownst to him, Joey was watching him. After a long silence, Joey rolled his eyes and opened his mouth to say something, but then a small voice kept him quiet.

"You shouldn't be here."

Joey froze. _How could he have possibly known? Just start apologizing…that'll save you a lot of irritation, _Joey thought. He opened his mouth again, but Kaiba wasn't done speaking.

"It's my fault…you tried to tell me, but I wouldn't listen…"

Joey's jaw dropped open in shock. He felt bad for eavesdropping, but he just couldn't resist. He had known that deep down Kaiba had a heart, but he had never really seen evidence of that theory…until now.

Kaiba sighed in exasperation. "I'm not very good at this, am I? If you were awake, you'd be making fun of me." He smiled. "But then again, I'd verbally thrash you for trying."

The fact that she didn't respond unnerved him, he wasn't comfortable talking to her like this at all. He shook his head and continued.

"Remember when we first met?"

Joey smiled.

"You were such a bitch."

Joey stifled his laughter before it came. _Way to go Kaiba, you certainly have your way with women…_

Kaiba chuckled. "I was no charmer either, but you really surprised me with that attitude of yours. You walked into my office acting all sweet. You presented me with your résumé, and I looked over it. I then told you that you didn't have the qualifications to be my assistant." Kaiba smirked. "And that's when you told me that I was probably just like every other shallow, rich bastard that was just looking for a sexy bimbo to bring me my coffee every day."

Joey smirked. _I haven't even talked to her and I like this girl already._

Kaiba placed his hand on top of Kate's. "I'm pretty sure you ranted at me for a good twenty minutes about how simple it is to wash the car and take clothes to the dry cleaner's before I shut you up. It was that attitude that got you the job, Kate. I never really admitted it to myself, but I liked you from the start. No one talks to me that way, and I found it refreshing." He squeezed her hand and sighed. "You really stood out compared to those morons I normally hire."

He frowned and ran a hand through his unruly hair. "You were so damn persistent. After I hired you, I assumed you would just be grateful that I gave you the job and you'd leave me alone most of the time, but I was dead wrong."

He looked away. "And thank God for that."

Kaiba was silent for a little while. Joey watched him carefully, sadness welling up in his heart. He really felt bad for the guy. He had a difficult time admitting it, but he really cared about Kaiba. No matter how mean they were to one another, they were still friends…somewhat.

"You came after me when everyone else had given up, even Mokuba. You were my friend when I didn't deserve one." He looked at her again. "And now I…I honestly don't know what to do without you."

He shook his head. "I know, that's not something _Seto Kaiba _would say. But before my step father came into the picture, I wasn't a heartless wretch like I seem to be now. I have just been afraid to trust again. Hell, I pushed away the people that constantly saved my life. What kind of man does that make me?"

Joey blinked in surprise. _Does he regret pushing us away the way he did?_

Kaiba grasped her hand in both of his and lifted it to his face. "The subtle things you did for me out of friendship affected me more than you know. You opened my eyes to the idea of trusting others again, and Yugi's little stunt in my office played a significant role as well…"

He frowned. "When I found out you had gone behind my back, I assumed the worst and tried to throw you out of my life and move on. I was so paranoid that when I started trusting you, I set you up to fail in the back of my mind." He closed his eyes sadly. "As soon as I found out about Yugi shooting you…I blamed myself. I still do. Yugi hurt you, and it's my fault."

He dropped her hand and it fell to the bed. He stood up and stepped closer. "Come back to me," he fidgeted uncomfortably, "…so you can get me my coffee again."

Joey rolled his eyes at Kaiba's miserable excuse for a save. He had already poured his heart out, what was the use of that last line?

Kaiba sighed as he watched her sleep. "It's…not fair. You should just be able to get up and walk out of here with a smile on your face."

"Things are never that simple."

Kaiba whirled around. Joey was leaning against the doorframe, watching him. Kaiba frowned. "How long have you been standing there?"

Joey shrugged and looked away from Kaiba's eyes. "I…I've been here the whole time." He didn't see a point in lying.

Kaiba opened his mouth to yell at him, but he just couldn't find the motivation. He just shook his head. "Just leave me alone, Wheeler. If you're here to make fun of me for what I've said, you can just save it."

Joey shook his head and walked toward Kaiba. "No, don't you see? We're friends, Kaiba. I know you might not want that, but it's the truth. I don't want to hurt you, especially since Yugi seems to have done a good enough job of it already."

Kaiba looked away. "I don't need your pity."

Joey placed a hand on his shoulder. "It's not pity, Kaiba. I want to help you. I hate him too, you know."

Kaiba's eyes flew to Joey's in surprise. "You don't mean that. You love him; he's your best friend."

Joey sighed. "No, man, he's not. Yugi's gone. He's not the man he used to be. He shot a girl and then took the soul of one of his closest friends." Joey balled his hands into fists and gritted his teeth angrily. "I hate what he has become."

When Kaiba didn't reply, Joey grabbed his arm and began to pull him from the room. Kaiba tried to resist, but Joey was persistent. "Come on, Kaiba; just get some coffee with me. We need to talk."

Kaiba sighed in exasperation and relented. He shook off Joey's hand and followed him from the room.

Silence filled Kate's hospital room except for the repetitive beeping of the heart rate monitor. Nothing stirred in the small, comfortable space. The girl lay still on her bed, still unconscious.

A young man entered the room and slowly made his way to her bed. He looked down at her in disdain. From his neck hung a gold, pyramid shaped pendant.

"This wasn't supposed to happen."

Yugi traced the girl's arm with his forefinger. "I never meant to do this to you. I…" Yugi stopped himself, because in the end, he knew it was a lie. Though he felt guilty for shooting her, it had been the only thing keeping her from telling the police what had occurred in her grandfather's gun shop.

"You shouldn't have come to visit me. You should have just let everything play out without your interference…but I'm afraid it's too late now. Here you are, and there's nothing I can do to help you." He smiled. "Or is there?"

He nodded as he realized what a good plan he had. "Yes…that would solve everything now, wouldn't it? I would be killing two birds with one stone, so to speak. I would slake my guilt and keep you from ever telling the authorities about my confrontation with your grandfather, all with one simple solution…"

He placed a hand on the Millennium Puzzle. He studied the girl's face, and he stiffened when her eyes slowly began to open. After a brief moment of being disoriented, her eyes landed on him and she recognized him instantly. She opened her mouth to cry out, but Yugi was too fast for her. He placed his hand over her mouth and stared deep into her eyes.

"Calm down, I'm giving you what you wanted. You're not going to feel any more pain…and you will get to be with your grandfather."

The girl watched him with a mix of fear and curiosity. She gasped as Yugi's Puzzle began to glow. His eyes turned crimson, and a gold eye symbol appeared on his forehead. She suddenly felt a vacuum pulling her out of her own body, and she felt almost peaceful as she drifted away.

When her eyes closed, Yugi smiled with satisfaction.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?"

Yugi jumped in surprise as he turned to face the source of the angry yell. Kaiba stood in the doorway, blocking his exit.

"She feels better now; too bad you didn't get to say good-bye."

Kaiba lunged at him, but Joey suddenly appeared to hold him back. "No, Kaiba, don't! We can't risk losing you too!"

Kaiba listened to Joey and relaxed a bit. "It's no use Yugi, you have nowhere to run."

Yugi sneered at him. "That's what _you _think."

He turned around and bolted for the window. Kaiba and Joey watched in shock as he used the point of the Puzzle to crack the window before he jumped through it. Luckily for him, they were only on the first floor.

Kaiba ran to Kate's side and shook her gently. "Please, just open your eyes, or smile, or…I don't care, do something to show me that you're still in there!"

No response. Kaiba sighed and closed his eyes sadly. "He has taken this way too far. It's time to make him pay for what he has done."

Joey placed a hand on his shoulder. "No, I'm going after him, Kaiba, and don't even try to stop me. I'm going to bring the old Yugi back. I'll get through to him…I just know I will. I have to."

Kaiba looked at him. "Wheeler…it's too dangerous. Yugi is volatile. I don't know if you can handle it."

Joey nodded solemnly. "We have to do something, and I'm tired of waiting around. I'm going to bring Yugi back, or die trying."


	13. Chapter 12

---

**Chapter Twelve**

**---**

"This is unreal."

Marik stared at the television with an awed expression. Ishizu stood next to him, her lips pressed into a grim, thin line. It seemed as if their efforts had been useless. Marik's fears were beginning to become reality.

"It has been reported that yet another mysterious coma patient was admitted last night. His name is Tristan Taylor. The man who found him, Seto Kaiba, has refused to comment. Oddly enough, a gunshot victim named Kathryn Chase, the granddaughter of the original victim, also slipped into an unexplainable comatose state. Is this just a coincidence? Is this a new medical phenomenon that we all have to be wary of? We'll keep you updated as the story progresses," the news anchor reported on screen.

Marik frowned. "Tristan…so my dream _was _a vision. We might not be too late to save Joey."

They had just arrived at the Domino International Airport. Fate obviously played a role in them arriving just in time to hear the news report. Because of it, they knew exactly where they would find the familiar faces they sought…including that of the Pharaoh.

Ishizu turned to him. "Even if we do save Joey, what good will it do? Obviously Yugi is so far gone that he is willing to take the souls of his friends! I think he may be beyond saving."

Marik shook his head. "I did far crueler things when I was taken over by my dark side, yet I was able to come back from it because of Odion. The Pharaoh must get through to Yugi, I fear that no one else will be able to."

Ishizu sighed and started to walk away from him. "Well, there's only one thing to do then."

--

Téa opened her eyes slowly. She vaguely remembered falling asleep. She had spent many hours trying to bring Atem out of his trance, but it was no use. He seemed intent on staying a prisoner of his own mind.

Téa's eyes suddenly widened. She realized that she had fallen asleep on Atem's shoulder, and she blushed heavily when she noticed a few small drops of drool on his shirt. She raised her head and looked at him sadly. On the bright side, he hadn't noticed the drool.

On the other hand, however, he was still very much _gone. _ His eyes were locked on his lap as if it were the greatest action movie in the world. She frowned and placed an uncertain hand on his shoulder. She squeezed it gently, hoping to let him know of her presence. It didn't work, and she reluctantly dropped her hand to her side.

She looked away from him and sighed. "I really missed you when you were gone, Pharaoh. I know that doesn't matter to you, your whole world is Yugi, it always has been, but I couldn't help but feel a special connection between you and I."

She eyed him out of the corner of her eye. "I remember when you saved me in that dance studio. My life was never the same after that, and I wouldn't have it any other way. You have made my life worthwhile, and for that, I thank you." She laughed softly. "We've saved the world together I don't know how many times…well, I don't know how much I helped, but I was there. Going through things like that brings you closer together, don't you think?"

The question had been rhetorical. As she had expected, he remained stationary as she continued. "You mean so much to me Pharaoh, and I don't know if I would be able to get over it if you left me again."

--

_Atem's elbow rested on his knee. His hand was balled into a fist, which he used to support his chin. He watched his memories play out in front of him like a movie…a very bitter sweet movie._

_Yugi was playing Joey in another game of Duel Monsters, only it was on the table instead of using high tech duel simulators. He was having the time of his life, and his eyes sparkled with youthful happiness. His smile brightened up the room as he gleefully taught his best friend how to play the game._

"_Hey, Joey! Are you in there? It's your move!"_

_Atem sighed in satisfaction at the sound of his voice. He seemed to crave his partner's old voice. It seemed so comfortingly familiar in comparison to the alien tone Yugi had used with him in Kaiba's office._

_Atem's eyes widened as the scene changed in front of him. He cursed under his breath as he realized what he had done. Thinking about a different memory had caused it to come to the front of his mind, and now it was about to play out in front of him._

_Kaiba's office appeared, and Yugi had just pulled Atem over the CEO's desk. He was crying profusely and screaming at the former Pharaoh for his lies._

_Atem closed his eyes and looked away. That had been the worst night of his life, and he was quite certain that it forever would be. _

"_Are you quite finished torturing yourself yet? Though I must say, it is rather entertaining."_

_Atem wasn't surprised by the voice this time. He looked over at the white-haired boy and gave him a small smile. "Bakura…if you and I are the same person, why are you still here?"_

_Bakura smirked. "Think about it this way, I am merely a tool your mind has constructed to get your ass out of here."_

_Atem raised an eyebrow. "My own mind wants to get rid of me? Yes, that makes a lot of sense."_

_Bakura rolled his eyes. "You know what I mean, Pharaoh. You want to get out of here and help Yugi, right? For some reason, you aren't ready to do that."_

_Atem looked back at the painful memory as Yugi walked out of the office. "What do you mean I'm not ready?"_

_Bakura glared at him. "Just look at yourself. Don't you realize how pathetic this is? This is getting you nowhere. All you've been doing since the last time you made _slight _progress has been watching countless memories of Yugi. You're wallowing in your sadness, and that is definitely not the answer to freeing yourself."_

_Atem sighed. "I suppose you're right, but it's so damn hard… Besides, I _did _try to come up with ways to help Yugi defeat the darkness within himself, but nothing sounds like a plausible plan."_

_Bakura stepped closer to him and stared deep into his eyes. "Then you aren't thinking hard enough, of course that wouldn't be the first time that has happened now, would it?"_

_Atem shot him a dirty look. "I don't understand it. Why would something created by my own mind constantly insult me?"_

_Bakura laughed, and it seemed to be a happy sound instead of a malicious one. "Why would your mind change what was real? The information you know about me fuels my character within your mind. To put it simply, I am acting exactly the way you know and expect me to act."_

_Atem scoffed and nodded. "You got that right. You haven't surprised me one bit."_

_Bakura's smile was soon replaced by a serious expression. "Moving on."_

_Atem massaged his temple. "I've seen this sort of thing happen before in Marik. Except, somehow, the evil Marik and the good Marik seemed to be two separate people. Unfortunately, this time, the good part of Yugi seems to just be buried deep down inside of the darker part of him. That certainly complicates things."_

_Bakura wagged a finger in front of him. "Not necessarily. Think about it."_

_Atem paused for a moment. He tried to concentrate on the matter at hand, but his mind kept going back to his memories of Yugi. As the scene changed once more to the moment they were reunited after he had defeated Dartz, Bakura lashed out at the Pharaoh._

"_Stop this! Can't you see that this constant reminiscing isn't doing you _or _Yugi any good? You need to get motivated or you will be trapped here for all eternity!" Bakura scowled at him. "Well, I guess it wouldn't be an eternity, eventually you would die."_

"I couldn't…courage to tell…but I really…you to know that…"

_Atem's head snapped up at the sound of that voice. It was coming from the outside, he knew it. "Téa…"_

_Bakura raised an eyebrow in curiosity as Téa's voice continued._

"…This is harder than I thought it would be…" _Her voice was clearer now, and there weren't gaps between words. Atem listened in wonder._

"The truth is, Pharaoh…Atem, I…I…"

_Bakura groaned in irritation beside Atem. "Spit it out, girl!"_

_Atem rolled his eyes and concentrated whole-heartedly on what Téa was trying to say._

"I love you."

_Atem's jaw dropped ever so slightly. Bakura didn't seem to be very surprised, in fact, he chuckled. "Oh come now, Pharaoh. That didn't honestly surprise you, did it?"_

_Atem ignored him. Téa's confession, though slightly surprising, wasn't new knowledge to him. Deep down, he had known that she loved him. The message was still powerful and awe inspiring. He could _feel _her love for him, and that strength set a new fire in his heart._

_He looked over at Bakura with renewed determination. The Thief King grinned with immense satisfaction at the sight. "Alright, Bakura, let's figure this out." _

_The spirit shook his head and backed away. "You're on your own, Pharaoh…technically, you have been this whole time, since we are in fact the same person. But rest assured, if you screw up, I will come after you again…please, for my sake, don't make that happen."_

--

Seto Kaiba opened his eyes warily, flinching away from the light shining in them. He raised his head slowly and realized that he had fallen asleep at Kate's bedside. He frowned as he studied her face and he gritted his teeth as the memories of the night before returned to him:

"_She's feeling better you know, too bad you didn't get to say good-bye."_

He clenched his hand into a fist angrily. "Wheeler, has Atem come out of it yet?" Kaiba turned around to look at the spot where he had last seen the blonde. He blinked in surprise when he realized that he wasn't there. He jumped up, fear filling his heart as he remembered one of the last things Joey had said to him before they had decided to try to sleep.

"_I'm going to bring Yugi back, or die trying."_

Kaiba rubbed his eyes tiredly and stumbled out of the hospital room. He wandered back to the waiting room where Téa and Atem were. The girl was obviously concentrating very hard on what she was trying to say to the former Pharaoh, so she didn't notice Kaiba's approach.

"I love you…" she said, her eyes clenched tight from the nerves eating away at her stomach.

Kaiba chuckled, causing the girl to suddenly open her eyes and turn a bright shade of red. "That wasn't exactly a surprise, Gardner. We could all see it, except for _him _maybe," Kaiba gestured toward Atem.

Atem's head rose slightly and his jaw dropped open. "Téa…" he said hoarsely.

Téa turned to look at him in surprise. "Atem! Oh thank the stars you're awake!"

Atem's eyes stared blankly ahead without blinking. "Téa…"

Kaiba sighed sadly. For a moment, he had almost believed the same thing. "Face it, your love doesn't have magical healing powers. He's still broken."

"Téa…"

Téa sighed sadly and draped herself over Atem in defeat. "Please…just…come back…"

Kaiba grunted in surprise as he was urgently pushed to the side. He turned to glare at the person who had moved him, only to be greeted by two very familiar faces. His eyes widened in shock as Ishizu Ishtar stared him down.

"What has happened to him?"

Kaiba gaped at her for a moment before answering. "He has been through a lot…he couldn't handle it. Yugi's…well, Yugi's…"

Marik, who was on his knees and staring into the eyes of the Pharaoh, turned to look at Kaiba. "He's gone, we know. That's why we're here, and that's why we brought Pharaoh Atem back."

Atem blinked. "You…you brought me back…" He whispered in a monotone.

Kaiba's eyes darted to him. "Atem?"

Atem blinked again, yet he didn't seem to be completely there. "You…"

Marik frowned. "Where is Joey?"

Kaiba's heart skipped a beat as the fear returned. "He…I think he went after Yugi."

Marik's eyes widened and he turned to the Pharaoh once more. He grasped Atem's shoulders and shook him firmly. "Pharaoh, you can't let him find Yugi! I had a vision of Joey dueling Yugi, and he lost. I guess there was some sort of wager involved, and Joey had to pay up…Pharaoh, if you don't do something, Joey will undoubtedly lose his soul!"

Atem's eyes moved to look into Marik's. "I'll take him down if I have to." Atem's voice was suddenly filled with strength and determination, and every eye flew to him. They watched in relief and amazement as the former Pharaoh stood up. He looked over at Kaiba, but Kaiba's expression was less than friendly.

"You're going to duel him too, aren't you?"

Atem frowned at him. "Spare me, Kaiba. This is more important than your ego."

Kaiba glared at him. "This has nothing to do with Duel Monsters! Yugi shot Kate and then stole her soul right in front of me! I need to make things right!"

Atem stepped toward him. As bad as he felt for Kaiba, he knew that it had to be _him _that faced Yugi. "Have you ever beaten Yugi before?"

Kaiba sighed in exasperation. "No."

Atem nodded. "Right, so, how many times have you lost to him, to _me_?"

Kaiba sneered at him. "I get it! You haven't beaten him either!" He growled angrily.

Atem massaged his temple with one hand. "Look, Kaiba, I'm not trying to shove your losses in your face. I am merely trying to make you understand that it has to be me. I might have lost to him in our only duel, but I still know his strategies inside and out." He dropped his hand and stared deeply into Kaiba's eyes. "I am the only one that can get through to him, you must know that."

Kaiba averted his eyes from Atem's. "You're right…" He looked back at the Pharaoh. "You're going to need a powerful deck to counter Yugi's Egyptian Gods."

The Pharaoh nodded. "Hopefully Solomon will let me put one together at his shop."

Kaiba chuckled and shook his head. "Don't be ridiculous. There aren't many cards that can rival the power of the Egyptian Gods." He raised his briefcase up to eye level, and Atem stared at it with wide eyes.

"You…you're serious."

Kaiba laughed again. "I seem to be surprising you a lot lately."

Atem shook his head. "You want me to use your deck."

Kaiba opened the briefcase for a moment. He grabbed something inside and held it up for Atem to see: it was one of the Blue-Eyes White Dragons.

"I have never trusted someone else to use my deck, let alone my Blue-Eyes. Atem…I trust _you_."

Atem swallowed hard against a lump that had formed in his throat. He felt slightly ridiculous for feeling sentimental at a time like this, but this was a rare sight to behold. Kaiba rarely ever trusted anyone besides Mokuba. He _especially _never trusted anyone with his deck.

Kaiba placed the card back in his briefcase and handed the whole thing to Atem. "There's a Duel Disk in there already."

Atem nodded as he took the briefcase from Kaiba. "You have no idea what this means to me."

Kaiba smiled. "For once, I actually want you to win."

Atem gave him a small smile. "Thank you." He pulled the Dark Magician out of his pocket and stared at it for a moment before slipping it into the briefcase.

Téa had been watching the whole thing unfold silently. Atem seemed to be turning to leave the hospital, and she couldn't sit still any longer. She jumped up and approached him quickly. She grabbed his free hand, causing him to look at her over his shoulder in surprise.

"What is it, Téa?"

She sighed sadly. "Be careful…"

He smiled and squeezed her hand. "Don't worry about me."

He released her hand and walked toward the exit. Before he opened the door, however, he turned back to look at her. "You saved me."

She stared after him with a puzzled look on her face, but she couldn't reply. He had already left.

Time seemed to freeze. No one moved a muscle. Every single one of them merely stared at the door Atem had just gone through, not sure of what to do next.

"Excuse me?"

All of them turned to see a police officer standing there. They stared at him curiously, but it was Kaiba that finally spoke up. "What seems to be the problem, officer?"

The man held up a photograph. All of them stared at it in shock. "I couldn't help but overhear your conversation. This young man's grandfather actually just handed me this photo. He told me that his grandson was missing." The police officer looked at the picture. "He failed to mention, however, that his grandson had shot someone."

The police officer stared them all down. "I need to ask you, and you _must _be honest with me. Is this the man responsible? Did Yugi Mutou shoot Kathryn Chase?"

"Yes."

Every pair of eyes flew to Kaiba when he answered. Téa opened her mouth to protest, but Kaiba held up a hand to stop her. "Yes, Yugi shot her."

The police officer nodded. "There is sufficient evidence…the blood on the floor of the Mutous' game shop is plenty to get an arrest warrant. You can all rest easily tonight, Yugi Mutou will be arrested before sun down." He walked away, leaving three angry people glaring at Kaiba.

Marik stepped forward angrily. "Don't you see what you've done? Have you failed to remember that there is a completely innocent, nearly exact copy of Yugi walking around?"

Ishizu nodded. "Even worse is the fact that we can't prove that he isn't Yugi. There will be no record of him anywhere in the world…except for museums."

Kaiba's jaw dropped. "…Atem."

--

Yugi frowned at the crime scene tape over his door. He tore it down and stepped into the shop. He averted his eyes from the blood on the floor as he made his way up to his room.

He hadn't returned to his own home the night before for obvious reasons. He had wandered around Domino for hours, and he eventually fell asleep on a park bench.

He grabbed a duffel bag and started to shove various items into it. He would have to disappear. He was certain that the police suspected him for shooting that girl, especially now that he was sure that his home had been investigated.

His eyes landed on his Duel Disk. He walked over to his desk where it laid and frowned. The last time he had touched it, he had thrown it at his window. He never picked it back up and put it on his desk. He glared at it. _He _had been in his room. Grandpa wouldn't have done it; he tried to avoid Yugi's room as often as he could. It had to be his other half.

Yugi picked it up and examined it. Many memories of dueling flashed through his mind. Many memories of _him _dueling were there as well. A part of him was happy to be remembering these things, but that part of him was vastly overshadowed by the darkness in his heart.

"You read my mind, Yuge."

Yugi whirled around to face Joey in surprise. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Joey glared at him. He had a Duel Disk on his arm and determination in his eyes. "I want to make you a deal."

Yugi crossed his arms skeptically. "Is that so?"

Joey nodded stiffly. "Yeah…you and I are going to duel, Yugi. If I win, you have to give back the souls you took."

Yugi shook his head with an amused smile on his face. "How about this: if you win, you can have _Tristan _back."

Joey frowned. "Why not the others?"

Yugi didn't answer. The reason he couldn't give Kate or her grandfather back was for his own safety, although that had already been compromised thanks to the police. He didn't expect Joey to win, but he knew better than to underestimate his opponent.

Joey nodded. "Fine."

Yugi smirked. "What do I get if I win?"

Joey sighed and watched his former friend sadly. "My soul."


	14. Chapter 13

---

**Chapter Thirteen**

**---**

There isn't exactly a perfect venue when you're about to battle your closest friend. No matter where it would take place, Joey was going to hate it. He would despise that place for the rest of his life.

Yugi and Joey had set out together in silence. Neither said a word to each other. Joey was afraid to speak. He wasn't sure what he would say to Yugi even if he wanted to. Yugi, on the other hand, was merely trying to come up with the perfect intimidation tactic.

They were near Domino High School. Joey blinked back tears as memories floated into his head. The most painful were those that had taken place two years ago, shortly after Atem had left them.

_*Flashback*_

_Joey walked into the classroom with a fake grin plastered on his face. He had to be strong for his friends. He knew they were hurting after all that they had been through, and he would do his best to get them through it._

_He took his spot next to Tristan and relaxed. Téa hid her face from him, but he could tell that she was crying again. They had all had a difficult time coping with the loss of their close friend, Atem._

_"Where's Yuge?" Joey asked Tristan quietly. Téa flinched at the sound of Yugi's name._

_"No idea, man. I haven't heard a thing from him since we came back from the airport," Tristan whispered behind his hand._

_"Hey! No talking!" The teacher scolded impatiently._

_"Sorry sir," Joey apologized half-heartedly._

_Class seemed to drag on for hours. They were forced to work silently on their assignment. It was difficult for Joey because he wanted nothing more than to talk about his missing friend._

_"Ah, Mr. Mutou, how nice of you to join us," the teacher said sarcastically._

_Joey's head snapped up. His eyes locked onto the short teen as he made his way to his normal seat. Yugi's expression was indescribable._

_"Hey…Yuge, where you been?"_

_Yugi didn't respond. He sat down and stared blankly ahead._

_Téa sniffed and reached out to Yugi. She touched him lightly on the shoulder, causing the small boy to jump slightly. He glanced at her over his shoulder._

_"Yugi…are you alright?"_

_Joey frowned. Yugi's eyes weren't youthful and innocent looking anymore. They looked hard, cold. He didn't look like the Yugi he knew. _

_"I'm fine."_

_His voice was hoarse. It was apparent in his tone that he had done quite a bit of crying and screaming. _

_"You don't seem fine, man," Tristan whispered concernedly._

_"No talking Mr. Taylor!"_

_Tristan rolled his eyes and continued to watch Yugi. Yugi stared back at him, his eyes blank._

_The bell rang. It was free period. The teacher sighed in relief and stood up. He quickly exited the room and left the students to do as they pleased._

_"Yuge, talk to me, pal!"_

_Yugi looked at Joey. A smile flickered across his face briefly and then vanished. "About what?"_

_"…Anything, just tell me that you're okay."_

_Yugi looked down. The youthfulness returned to his face, but it wasn't happy. He looked genuinely heartbroken. "I can't do that."_

_Joey frowned again. He reached out to Yugi, but the small teen flinched away from his hand. Joey stared at Yugi in surprise._

_"Don't touch me."_

_Joey retracted his hand and sighed. "Just, let me help you through this…we can all help you."_

_Yugi stood up. "I don't need your help!"_

_Joey gaped at him. "Please, Yuge…"_

_Yugi shook his head and glared at the blonde. "No, leave me alone. I don't need you."_

_With that, Yugi bolted from the classroom. He didn't seem to care that school was still going on. He didn't seem to care that he would probably earn detention for leaving. He didn't seem to care that each of his friends were shedding brand new tears._

_*End Flashback*_

"You're a fool."

Joey snapped out of his memories and looked at Yugi out of the corner of his eye. "Oh really? Why's that?"

"Think about it. How could you possibly defeat me? You're practically handing your soul over to me on a silver platter."

Joey smirked. "Don't overestimate yourself, Yuge."

"Think about your sister."

Joey stopped dead in his tracks. Yugi turned to face his friend with an elated expression on his face. If Joey didn't know why his former friend was so happy, he would have been relieved to see him that way again.

"Leave Serenity out of this," Joey hissed.

Yugi shook his head. "You'll be leaving her all alone in this world. How selfish of you…"

"Shut up!" Joey screamed angrily.

Yugi laughed. "Did I touch a nerve?" He shook his head. "Maybe I'll pay her a little visit once we're through here."

Joey was absolutely livid. He activated his Duel Disk and threw his deck into its slot. "That's it! We're doing this, right here, right now!"

Yugi mimicked his movements in activating his own Duel Disk. "Have you forgotten that I have the Egyptian Gods?"

Joey sneered. "It doesn't matter, I'll defeat you anyway! You proved that you _can _beat the gods, and I plan to do the same!"

Yugi scoffed. "You can try."

_"Stop this while you still can."_

Yugi gritted his teeth. "No, leave me be," he whispered icily to the voice in his head.

_"You can trap your friends, but you cannot get rid of me. I am a part of you."_

Yugi dug his foot into the gravel on the street. "I want no part of you!" He growled.

_"You don't have a choice. I'll always be with you, aibou." _

"DON'T CALL ME THAT!" He screamed.

Joey stared at Yugi incredulously. "What is wrong with you?"

Yugi glared at the blonde. "Shut up! There's nothing wrong with me!"

_"I beg to differ. Everything is wrong about you."_

"Give me some peace!"

_"Can't you see that you'll never be at peace? Let go! Give yourself over to me!" _Atem commanded him. The forcefulness and confidence in his tone was startling, considering how helpless it had seemed in the previous days.

Yugi's heart thumped in his chest. He tried to focus his full attention on Joey, but it was too difficult. His head was swimming with a multitude of emotions: fear, anger, exhaustion, frustration. His hands shook as he struggled to hold himself together. He could feel a massive conflict going on within him, and he realized that it could all end at any time.

That voice, that _spark_, was tiny. It was miniscule. It was the part of him that had been ecstatic at the return of the Pharaoh. It was the part of him that cried out when Kate had been shot. It was the part of him that was _light_.

The spark was waging a war within him, and it was beginning to win.

Yugi dug his fingernails into his palm. No matter how small that spark was, it was powerful. He could remember when that spark had been all of him. His whole soul had been a bright light. He didn't want that again. He enjoyed the comfort of the darkness he had fallen into. He enjoyed being _alone_.

Until that spark was dealt with, he would never be alone.

He had to get rid of it. He had to destroy what he used to be once and for all.

"Yugi."

Yugi blinked. He looked up into Joey's grave face. He didn't say a word, he merely stared at his friend. Joey seemed to be concerned and vengeful at the same time. The combination was slightly amusing to the crazed teen.

"I have no idea what has gotten into your head, but we have some business to take care of."

Yugi nodded slowly. "Let's duel."

--

_"Yugi…please don't make me choose. It's time for me to go back to where I belong."_

Atem came to an abrupt halt. He set Kaiba's briefcase on the ground for a moment as he attempted to catch his breath. His last words to Yugi before he had left for the Spirit World were suddenly returning to him. It was a painful memory.

_"I am confident that we will meet again, partner. Don't mourn me Yugi. Be happy, live your life."_

"It's my fault…all of it…"

_"I love you Yugi, don't forget that."_

Atem ground his teeth together angrily. "I didn't know how much you needed me! I didn't know that I would be your downfall…"

People passing by stared at him curiously as he continued to talk to himself. They tried to keep their distance out of fear for his sanity. Teenagers pointed and snickered behind their hands while children couldn't take their eyes off of him.

Atem didn't care. Yugi was gone…and he would move mountains to get his partner back.

He picked the briefcase up once more and started running. He had no idea where Joey and Yugi would be. He felt as if he had been searching for hours. Atem had no hints or clues, just a large city laid out before him. He sighed as he once again paused for breath. He would search every nook and cranny if he had to.

He heard a muffled ring coming from inside the briefcase. Puzzled, Atem opened it and peeked inside. Kaiba's phone was in one of the pockets. He withdrew it and answered it timidly.

"Hello?"

"I tracked Wheeler's Duel Disk."

Atem's entire face brightened at the sound of Kaiba's voice. "Alright, where are they?"

"They began dueling about an hour ago by the looks of it. They are near the high school."

Atem nodded. "Of course, on the complete other side of town…" When Kaiba didn't respond, he took a deep breath. "How bad is it? How close is Joey to losing?"

Kaiba hesitated. Atem felt a cold chill come over him. "Is it really that bad?"

Kaiba sighed. "No, on the contrary…this may be hard for you to believe, but…Joey is winning."

Atem scrunched his nose skeptically. "How could that be?"

"I don't know, but it's a substantial lead…Joey has 1500 life points while Yugi has 800."

Atem smiled. "He might be able to get himself out of this then…"

Kaiba laughed. "I hope so, Joey Wheeler is one lucky mutt." There was a brief silence before Kaiba cleared his throat. "Atem, I made a big mistake…"

Atem frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"A police officer showed us a picture of Yugi and asked us if he was the person that shot Kate. I…I acted on impulse…I was angry and upset…I wasn't thinking clearly!"

Atem closed his eyes. "You said yes."

"You have to be careful…if you get arrested, I don't know how to get you out."

Atem chuckled. "Yes, I imagine that the police won't believe that I'm an ancient pharaoh back from the dead."

--

Yugi stared at the Red-Eyes Black Dragon in disbelief. It had just vaporized his Giant Soldier of Stone. All that was left was his King's Knight. _He is winning, _he thought in bewilderedness. _This can't be happening!_

"What is it, Yuge? You don't know what to do now? You thought you could just bulldoze through me, didn't you? You thought this would be an easy fight!"

Yugi's breathing was heavy as he stared blankly at Joey. The inner conflict had been so strong that he had been having difficulty concentrating on the duel. The spark _really _didn't want Joey to lose.

Yugi glanced at his hand. There wasn't much he could do. If he didn't draw something soon, he would be done for. His eyes slowly moved to the rest of his deck. He felt his cockiness fading away as the fear gripped him. _Could I actually lose?_

He shook his head and smirked. _Not a chance!_

He looked up at Joey. "Don't let it go to your head, Joey. You're not out of the woods yet. I still have a few tricks up my sleeve."

Joey nodded. "Then draw."

Yugi reached for his deck, but his hand hovered above it. He tried to grab the top card, but his hand wouldn't budge. Instead it began to shake.

His eyes widened and he yelped in shock as he stared at his hand. "Let…me…go!" He cried out in fear.

Joey stared at him. Part of him despised Yugi for what he had done, but the other part of him feared for his friend's sanity. He was obviously losing his mind, and there was nothing Joey could do to help him.

Yugi swallowed hard as he started to panic. He quickly withdrew his hand, sighing in relief when the hand obeyed him. He flipped it over in front of his eyes to examine it. The shaking had stopped, but he was afraid to try again. He took a few deep breaths before reaching toward his deck.

_If I don't draw something powerful right now, I'm done for…_he thought. _The spark will ensure my loss unless I draw a-_

He grinned in satisfaction. He admired the card in his hand, for he knew that it spelled out certain victory.

"I'll end you in a single turn."

Joey raised an eyebrow. "I don't see how you can, Yuge."

Yugi chuckled darkly. "Then watch me." He placed his new card in his card hand and plucked a new one from his fingers. "First I play Pot of Greed to get two new cards."

He played the card and drew two more. "Now I summon Queen's Knight!"

The heavily armored woman appeared on the field opposite Red-Eyes and next to the other knight. Yugi looked up at Joey. "Since my King's Knight is already on the field, I can special summon my Jack's Knight!"

The third knight appeared on the field on the other side of Queen's Knight. Yugi grinned. "I think you know what comes next."

Joey looked down at the ground. "Why…? No one could be that lucky…" he dropped the cards in his hand and continued to stare at the ground. "It's as if it was meant to be this way…"

"I couldn't agree more!" Yugi smirked. He drew his final card and slapped it down on the Duel Disk. "I sacrifice my three knights to summon Slifer the Sky Dragon!"

The three knights disappeared. In a burst of light, the massive red dragon appeared, its hot breath released from its mouth in a puff of white. Joey didn't even bother to look up at it. He didn't have to. He knew that it was over.

_"No, don't!"_

Yugi blinked. "You can't stop me!"

_"He is your friend, your brother! How could you possibly do this to him? You love him!"_

Yugi growled. "You're wrong!"

_"Am I?"_

Yugi hesitated. He stared at the dragon before him in wonder. _Why aren't I attacking?_

He looked down at his hand. It was moving as if it had a life of its own. It was moving slowly and shakily toward the Duel Disk as if it wished to surrender. Yugi grabbed the hand with his Duel Disk hand and restrained it. _How did the spark become so powerful?_

_"Your love for your friends is still here! You haven't forgotten yourself entirely, that's why I'm growing stronger!"_

"I love no one! Not anymore!"

_"You're lying to yourself."_

Joey looked up at Yugi. He could see in his friend's eyes that he was about to attack, and he was ready for it. He didn't care anymore. Yugi had lost himself, and there wasn't any way to bring him back.

Yugi released his hand and glared at Joey confidently. "Slifer! Attack his pathetic Red-Eyes!"

The dragon unleashed a blinding attack on Joey's Red-Eyes. Both duelists shielded their eyes from the light. As the light began to fade, Yugi erupted into laughter. Joey continued to stare at the ground despondently.

Yugi squinted at the blonde. Joey's life points dropped to zero, but no one seemed to notice. Yugi placed a hand on the Millennium Puzzle and grinned.

"Joey, you must pay the price for your ignorance."

"NO YUGI!"

Yugi chuckled. "Oh shut it, you can't control me, not anymore."

"Don't, please!"

Yugi shook his head. "Just try and stop me!"

The Puzzle began to glow. Joey slowly looked up and stared over Yugi's shoulder with wide eyes. "I'm…seeing double…" he mumbled with a frown.

Yugi raised an eyebrow as the violet vanished from his eyes. A cold, dark crimson replaced the beautiful amethyst as the golden eye appeared on his forehead. "You're delusional."

Yugi smirked in satisfaction as he watched the light leave Joey's eyes. The joy was short lived, however. A surprising force pushed him to the ground and pinned him. He grunted in shock as he attempted to look over his shoulder at the assailant. What he saw caused his blood to boil.

"So it wasn't just the little voice in my head."

Atem pressed his knee into Yugi's back. "What have you done? Joey is your friend! He loves you!"

Yugi shifted uncomfortably under Atem's knee. "I did him a favor. Joey lives in the past when he _should _be living in the present. He doesn't realize that sometimes it's best to leave well enough alone."

"You disgust me." Atem snarled.

Yugi chuckled. "That's the pharaoh I know. We have much more in common than we used to. Dark, angry, _rude…_just let it all out."

Atem leaned forward so that his mouth was next to Yugi's ear, his knee pressing even harder into Yugi's back. "I'm nothing like you," he whispered venomously.

Yugi felt a shiver of fear run down his spine. "You're fooling yourself."

Atem gritted his teeth. As much as he wanted to continue to deny it, he couldn't. He wanted nothing more than to slam his partner's head into the ground for what he had done to Kate, Tristan, Joey…and _himself_.

"It's funny, you've told me the exact same thing for so long…it feels like justice has been served to throw your own words back in your face."

Atem blinked. "I don't recall saying such a thing."

Yugi groaned in pain as he tried to adjust himself under Atem's knee. "Of course not."

Atem didn't know how to respond. _Little voice in his head…words I've never said…_

"You're losing your mind."

Yugi tensed beneath him. "I'm sane," he growled fiercely. "I just can't get your damn voice out of my head!"

Atem frowned. "I believe hearing voices qualifies as insane."

Yugi threw himself back, catching Atem off guard. The pharaoh fell onto his back. Yugi pulled himself up and stared down at his other half. "That voice is a part of me, the insufferable little spark that won't let you pathetic people go!"

Atem felt his jaw drop slightly. It suddenly made sense. Another memory of the night in Kaiba's office returned to him:

_Suddenly, Yugi erupted in shaky laughter. "First the voices…now this…I really am losing my mind."_

Atem blinked again. "There is good in you…and that part of your soul has…_my _voice…?"

Yugi shook his head. "Who says I'm not good? Right or wrong is simply a point of view."

Atem glared at him. "Then your point of view has been marred by _insanity_."

That certainly flipped the switch. Yugi glowered at the pharaoh. "_I'm not insane!_" He screamed. He drew his leg back to kick his other half, but Atem was too fast. He quickly rolled away from Yugi and stood. He smirked at him and shook his head.

"You're insecure about your own sanity. You're unsure of whether or not you have lost your mind. That's why you're so defensive about the subject. Have you forgotten that I can read you like an open book? I know your mind inside and out."

Yugi sneered. "I know your mind pretty well too. I knew you were going to come up with some logical explanation and lecture me on why I'm the one that's wrong," he spat. "I know that you can't hurt me. You care too much."

Atem ground his teeth together and nodded. "You're right. I love you, aibou."

"STOP! Don't call me that! We're not partners, I've turned my back on that part of my life for good! I don't need you anymore _Atem_, I'm free."

Atem's heart hurt when he heard those words, but he hid it well. "I guess there's only one thing to do."

Yugi snorted. "What's that?"

Atem backed away from Yugi until he was standing next to a silver briefcase. Yugi eyed the briefcase curiously.

"We duel."

Yugi raised an eyebrow. "The one time we dueled, I won."

Atem gave him a half smile. "Perhaps, but one game hardly ensures your victory."

Yugi looked down at his traitorous hand. He remembered his inability to completely control its movements and sighed. He would never admit it, but he was afraid to participate in a duel with Atem. With the distraction of the infuriating spark, Joey had almost defeated him. _Joey_. What if he were to go up against Atem? Would the distraction be enough to bring about the former pharaoh's win?

Yugi swallowed his fear and glanced back at Atem. "What are the stakes?"

Atem picked up the briefcase. "If I win, I want the Millennium Puzzle."

Yugi's upper lip rose to reveal his teeth in an intimidating, furious glare. "What could possibly compel me to put something so important on the line?"

Atem's eyes didn't waver from Yugi's. "You can have whatever you want. I offer myself to you, Yugi. If that means taking my life, then so be it. Living in a world without my partner is unbearable." He stepped closer to Yugi. "I would gladly die if it meant saving you from yourself."

Yugi furrowed his brow as he stared at Atem. He felt the overwhelming power of the spark within him once more, causing him to fear for the outcome of the duel. A fire burned in his heart for the pharaoh, and he despised it. No matter how much _he _hated Atem, the spark would always love him.

He blinked. _The only way to destroy the spark is to destroy him, I know it…_

He nodded slowly and grimaced. "This is it, then."

"I'm afraid so."

--

**A/N: **So, yes, sorry about the very late update. It seems like forever! I didn't really know how to write this chapter without too much dueling because the duel between Yugi and Atem is the most important one. And also, I'm not exactly an expert on the card game…I only know the stuff I've seen in the show.

I like how the fire is back in Atem's attitude. He was a little too mopey for a while. There will be like _one _more chapter where he's depressed, which will bring the return of his mental version of Bakura, but after that it's all determination. Good stuff.

I'm not sure how happy I am about this chapter, but I hope you enjoyed it. New twist to the story is coming up, so stay tuned! Reviews are appreciated. I'll update sooner next time! At least, I hope so :).


	15. Chapter 14

---

**Chapter Fourteen**

---

Atem normally liked to think of himself as a realist. He understood the situation perfectly. He knew that Yugi was far beyond his reach. He knew that the duel he was about to participate in could end it all, no matter who won. He knew that Joey was gone, and he knew that his partner wasn't coming back.

Atem no longer wanted to be a realist. As he arranged the Duel Disk on his arm, he wanted nothing more than to play a game with Yugi free of danger and farewells. He wanted to forget everything that had happened and just enjoy himself for what could be the last time.

That's exactly what he planned to do.

--

Yugi stood opposite Atem on the school's outdoor basketball court. His arms were crossed as he watched his other half place his cards in the slot of his Duel Disk. They hadn't said a word since Yugi had his dramatic revelation: _The only way to destroy the spark is to destroy him, I know it…_

Yugi followed Atem's movements carefully. The former pharaoh stood tall. His noble aura was aggravating to Yugi. Not one shred of fear or anger remained in Atem's features…in fact, Yugi spied a slight smile.

"Aibou."

Yugi gritted his teeth. He decided not to go berserk over his old nickname this time, even though it still infuriated him. "Mou hitori no boku," he snarled mockingly.

Yugi's hateful tone didn't seem to bother Atem. In fact, his smile widened. "Don't be a child, Yugi."

Yugi sneered at him and drew his cards. "I'll show you who's a child…"

Atem ignored him and drew his own hand. "Your move."

Yugi nodded and plucked a card from his hand. He smiled before slapping it down on the Duel Disk. "I summon Lady of Faith!"

The priestess appeared on the field. A small smile appeared on Atem's face as he watched the familiar monster.

"Happy to see old friends, Pharaoh?" he asked as he placed one card face down.

Atem nodded slowly. "I was happy when I saw you again."

Yugi laughed. "And how do you feel now?"

Atem looked puzzled as if he didn't understand the question. "What reason do I have to be unhappy?"

Now Yugi was the one to look confused. "…Tristan, Kate, _Joey_…why _aren't _you unhappy?"

Atem looked pained for a brief moment before his smile returned. "I'm playing a game with my partner."

Yugi's eyes widened as he stared at the former pharaoh. For a second he didn't understand what was going through his other half's mind. He rolled his eyes as realization settled in.

"I see what you're doing. You're trying to ignore the fact that I don't care about you anymore in an attempt to change me. You think that by showing me what we used to be I will suddenly love you again."

Atem cocked his head to the side as he regarded Yugi. "Perhaps."

Yugi chuckled. "Don't be a fool, Yami. Hmm…ironic, isn't it? You used to be the dark to my light…now what are we?"

Atem furrowed his brow. "_You_ are a deeply confused young man."

Yugi shook his head amusedly. "Confused? Not in the slightest! I'm perfectly aware of what I'm doing, I just don't _care_."

Atem gritted his teeth. "Part of you does, I can sense it."

Yugi snarled at him. "You're delusional."

Atem smirked. "I'm fairly certain it was you that was hearing voices, not me."

Yugi nearly crumpled his cards in response. "Shut up and go! It's your move!" He screamed furiously.

Atem nodded as he looked at his hand. "With pleasure." He picked a card and admired it. Seeing Kaiba's card gave him strength…and a plan. A plan that Kaiba himself would've used without hesitation.

"I summon Lord of Dragons!"

Yugi raised an eyebrow. "Isn't that Kaiba's card…?"

Atem seemed to ignore him. A fierce expression of confidence was on his face, nearly bringing a smile to Yugi's face…nearly.

Yugi frowned for a moment until his eyes landed on his face down card. He looked back at Atem determinedly, doing his best to keep a perfect poker face. He wouldn't have to worry about his monster being harmed.

Atem grinned. "Lord of Dragons! Atta-"

"_No!"_

Atem froze. His grin was wiped from his face and his skin paled. He knew that voice…but was it just his imagination?

"Lord of Dragons…" he tried again, his voice beginning to shake. "Attack his-"

"_Mirror Force!"_

Atem blinked, but the Lord of Dragons had already begun his advance on the Lady of Faith. "Wait! Stop!"

Yugi's expression darkened when Atem called off his attack. "What is the meaning of this?"

Atem blinked again, his eyes locked onto the face down card on Yugi's side of the field. "Mirror Force…that card is Mirror Force!"

Yugi gaped at him disbelievingly. "You cheat!"

Atem shook his head. "Apparently I still know your strategies all too well."

Yugi growled. "We'll see!"

Atem wasn't paying attention to Yugi anymore. He had wanted to enjoy his time with his partner. He had wanted to break through to him…but suddenly that didn't seem to matter. The voice in his head hadn't been a figment of his imagination. It had been the mind link.

He frowned. _"Yugi…?" _he called timidly through the link.

There was no response. Atem closed his eyes and sighed. _Maybe it was just my imagination…_

"_You give yourself too much credit."_

Atem's heart fluttered and his eyes snapped open. _"Yugi!" _he cried exuberantly.

He felt warmth radiating from the other side of the link. _"Pharaoh!"_

Atem blinked and shook his head in disbelief. _"All this time…the mind link…"_

"Well? Are you done with your turn?"

Atem broke free of his reverie. He stared at the Yugi in front of him and frowned. _"I don't understand…"_

"_That's not me, you've known it since they day you returned! I've been trying to fight back but…but…" _Yugi began to go into hysterics. _"I dug my own grave…"_

Atem felt tears form in his eyes, but he didn't dare reveal them to Dark Yugi. He didn't want to give any sort of indication as to what was going on. He frowned. "I play Pot of Greed!"

He drew two more cards and sighed in relief as one of them was the card he had needed. He immediately placed it on the Duel Disk with a triumphant smile. "I play Flute of Summoning Dragon! It allows me to summon any Dragon-type monster from my hand!"

He smirked mischievously. "And I choose…" he picked the card from between his fingers and revealed it to Yugi. "Blue-Eyes White Dragon!"

Yugi's jaw dropped open as the majestic white dragon appeared on the field. He could barely wrap his mind around what he was seeing.

"Kaiba gave you his deck."

It wasn't a question, it was stated matter-of-factly. Yugi knew that the arrogant CEO had helped his other half, and it angered him beyond belief.

"Indeed. You made a fatal mistake, Yugi. You attacked someone dear to him. He is determined to bring you down, and because of that he allowed me to use his cards. The power of Kaiba's Blue-Eyes belongs to me!"

Yugi looked at his own hand. Not one of his cards could take down the powerful beast. He laughed. "Did you forget about my God Cards?"

Atem dismissed it. "Not at all, I will bring them down and take back what is rightfully mine," he said, gesturing toward the Millennium Puzzle.

Yugi glanced at the object and snorted. "Dream on, Your Highness."

"_I can't believe it! Kaiba actually let you use his cards? That's so unlike him…how interesting!"_

A massive grin appeared on Atem's face, much to Yugi's dismay. _"Yes…I agree. He's much different than he used to be, I'm not sure what brought that on, but I am grateful. Do not fear, aibou, I will save you."_

"_I don't need saving."_

Atem frowned. He felt a sharp pang in his chest. He rubbed it with his free hand.

"…_I'm sorry, I didn't mean that…it's just…I'm different than I used to be…"_

Atem swallowed hard. "I end my turn."

As Dark Yugi drew a new card and began to strategize, Hikari Yugi filled up with guilt. Atem felt the extremity of the emotion and sighed sadly.

"_When you left…I wasn't the same. I know it's hard for you to hear, but it will be very hard for me to return to what I once was."_

Atem forced a smile. _"It doesn't matter…I've found you…at least, I can speak to you."_

He felt the warmth from Hikari Yugi once more. _"Yes you can! And I plan to help you through this, mou hitori no boku!"_

Atem swelled with pride. _"I'm so proud of you, aibou."_

Atem could practically picture Hikari Yugi beaming at him. One thing was bothering him, however, and he decided to make it known to his partner. _"Yugi…why is it he can't hear us?"_

"_He doesn't want to. He can't really block me out completely, but he hates you to no end…" _Atem felt Yugi's pain. _"That's my fault I suppose. I hated you too."_

Atem nodded in comprehension. His eyes stung. _"I don't blame you for hating me."_

"_It all changed when I saw you again."_

Atem frowned.

"_I was willingly giving into the darkness before you came along. At first, your voice in my mind was just my way of wallowing in my sadness. I even convinced myself that you never cared about me. Because of you, I completely snapped out of it…but it was too late, of course. My hatred for you was too powerful. That's why the darkness is stronger than me."_

Atem snarled as he watched Dark Yugi.

"I summon Silver Fang!" Dark Yugi cried out. The beautiful wolf appeared on the field and growled at Atem's Blue-Eyes.

Atem shrugged. "You're going to have to do better than that, I'm afraid."

Dark Yugi smirked. "I'm not done."

He slapped another card on the Duel Disk. "I activate Brain Control. I sacrifice 800 life points to take control of your Blue-Eyes White Dragon!"

Fear flickered briefly in Atem's eyes as he felt Hikari Yugi's unease. The eerie Brain Control hologram grasped the Blue-Eyes and it appeared on Yugi's side of the field. Atem glared at Dark Yugi.

Dark Yugi laughed. "Blue-Eyes! Attack his Lord of Dragons with White Lightning!"

A blinding light was released by the dragon. It decimated the Lord of Dragons as Atem shielded his eyes with his arm.

**Atem: 2200**

**Yugi: 3200**

When the light disappeared, Dark Yugi grinned triumphantly and shrugged. "I end my turn."

The Blue-Eyes reappeared on Atem's side of the field. He sighed irritably as he drew his next card. He felt slightly better as he immediately played it.

"I play Card Guard, allowing me to discard one card from my hand in order to protect my monsters from destruction for one turn."

As he placed a card into the graveyard, he felt a surge of unease from the mind link. Atem gave a small smile. _"Trust me, Yugi…I know what I'm doing."_

"_I hope that was the right card…"_

Atem chuckled. "Blue-Eyes, attack his Lady of Faith!"

Dark Yugi sneered at him as he helplessly watched his monster disappear. Because of Card Guard, he had been unable to activate Mirror Force.

**Atem: 2200**

**Yugi: 1300**

The lead helped Atem to relax somewhat, but he knew better than to underestimate Yugi of all people. He had to remove Mirror Force somehow…but did Kaiba have a card in his deck that could?

Dark Yugi drew another card. He placed it in his hand and stared at them warily. There wasn't much he could do. "I summon Queen's Knight in defense mode."

He watched disdainfully as the knight appeared on the field. He was growing impatient. Next turn he would have to summon another monster. Soon, he would have to summon one of the Egyptian Gods…if he didn't, there was no way he would be able to defeat Atem's Blue-Eyes.

"I end my turn."

Atem raised an eyebrow as he drew another card. Dark Yugi was being uncharacteristically insecure. He grinned at the card he had drawn. It seemed as if Joey's luck had somehow rubbed off on him.

"First, I summon Battle Ox." The creature appeared on the field and Atem played another card. "Next, I play one card face down."

Atem took a deep breath. "Attack his Silver Fang, Battle Ox!"

Dark Yugi blinked and stared at the former pharaoh incredulously. The burly creature neared the wolf and raised his axe, but Dark Yugi held up a hand.

"I activate Mirror Force!"

Atem grinned, catching Dark Yugi off guard. "I activate my face down card! Interdimensional Matter Transporter! It allows me to remove one of my monster cards from play for the rest of the turn." He pointed at the Blue-Eyes White Dragon. "I choose Blue-Eyes!"

Dark Yugi snarled as he watched his trap card destroy the Battle Ox, but not the creature he had desired. He averted his eyes from his very confident other half. "I switch Silver Fang to defense mode."

The wolf lay down and the Blue-Eyes White Dragon reappeared on Atem's side of the field. Atem was positively beaming. It made Dark Yugi sick.

"I'm still not quite done."

Dark Yugi barely contained a groan. He had seriously underestimated Atem…probably because he hadn't seen the Pharaoh duel in over two years. He began to fear the outcome of the duel again, though one thought nagged at him. _Why isn't the spark fighting me?_

Atem played another card. "I pay 1000 life points in order to use Lullaby of Obedience. This card allows me to name any monster above Level 8 that may be in your deck. If it is, I can take it for myself."

Dark Yugi's eyes widened in fear and he gaped at the Pharaoh. He knew of three cards that Atem might want.

**Atem: 1200**

**Yugi: 1300**

The aggravating confidence returned to Atem's face. "Winged Dragon of Ra!"

Dark Yugi furiously searched through his deck until he found the card his partner desired. "Fine, take it, worm. I will defeat you without it!"

Atem hesitantly approached Yugi. When he reached him, he stared into Yugi's hostile eyes. He gently plucked the card from Yugi's fingers. He felt a chill run up his spine at the dangerous gleam in Yugi's eyes, but he disregarded it. He turned away and walked back to his original position. He admired the Winged Dragon of Ra triumphantly and placed it in his hand.

He turned to face Yugi once more with a satisfied smirk. "Now I end my turn."

"_That was a great move! Summon Ra and he's done for!"_

Atem took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Hikari Yugi's encouragement made him feel as if he could part the seas.

Dark Yugi froze. He had suddenly heard a voice…but it wasn't the voice he was used to. It was his old voice, the voice he had had when he was in high school. It was innocent and somewhat childish…and it was praising the Pharaoh! The spark was talking to him!

He calmed himself. _That's how he knew about Mirror Force, _he thought, somewhat relaxed. He concentrated all of his mental power on blocking the spark from his mind. He didn't care if the spark spoke to the Pharaoh…he _did _care if it was helping Atem to cheat.

Dark Yugi drew another card. He glared at it. _Damn! It's only Feral Imp!_

He nearly screamed in rage, but his eyes fell on another card in his hand. Suddenly, he didn't feel the need to scream. What he did feel, however, was embarrassment. _Why didn't I see it before?_

"I summon Feral Imp in defense mode!" The Feral Imp appeared beside Queen's Knight.

He sighed in relief. "I activate Card Destruction!"

As the color left Atem's face, Yugi burst into laughter. "Yes, that means your Egyptian God goes straight to the graveyard, Pharaoh…"

Atem sneered at him and placed his entire hand in the graveyard. Dark Yugi did the same and they both drew the same number of cards that they had originally.

Atem, though slightly shaken by the loss of Ra, smiled at his cards. Among them was his favorite Duel Monster of all: the Dark Magician. It was the perfect card to orchestrate Dark Yugi's defeat.

"Now I play two cards face down."

He placed the card on the field and looked back at his hand. He was merely stalling at this point; he needed a God Card…and fast.

Atem knew what he was doing. Yugi had three monsters on the field…he was prepared to summon an Egyptian God once one was readily available. _Not if I can help it…_

"Blue-Eyes! Attack his Feral Imp!"

The dragon charged its attack and Dark Yugi smiled.

"_No! What about his face down cards?"_

Atem stared at the dragon wide-eyed. "I…I didn't think about that…" he said aloud.

Before he could call off the attack, however, Dark Yugi activated his trap. "I activate Spellbinding Circle!"

Atem looked down at the ground. _How careless of me…what was I thinking?_

The Blue-Eyes White Dragon cried out in pain as the Circle constricted around it. Atem looked away from the creature disdainfully.

"How does it feel, Atem? Your most powerful monster and it can't even attack!"

Atem gritted his teeth angrily. "This isn't over Yugi."

"It's your move."

Atem nodded curtly and drew another card. "I play Soul Exchange. I can now choose one of your monsters, sacrifice it, and summon one of my own." When Yugi didn't respond, Atem pointed at Queen's Knight. "I choose Queen's Knight."

As Queen's Knight went to the graveyard, Atem looked at the Blue-Eyes sadly. It felt as if he was sacrificing Kaiba himself, but he had no choice. The dragon was useless in its current state.

"I also sacrifice my Blue-Eyes in order to summon the Dark Magician!"

The Blue-Eyes White Dragon disappeared as well, and in its place, the noble Dark Magician materialized. Atem smiled at the monster fondly.

"Unfortunately, because I activated Soul Exchange, I can't attack you until next turn."

Dark Yugi drew another card and placed it in his hand. He glanced up at Atem with hopelessness written all over his face.

"I pass."

Atem stared at him in shock. "Are…are you sure? That isn't exactly wise, aibou…"

Dark Yugi glowered at him. "I don't need your advice."

Atem shrugged and drew. "Dark Magician, attack his Feral Imp!"

"_He doesn't have any more cards that can cancel my attack, so don't fret Yugi."_

"_Why did you think I was going to?"_

Atem smiled. _"I know you very well, aibou."_

"_I wasn't about to-"_

"I activate Magical Dimension!"

"_-panic…" _

Atem frowned. "What?"

"Don't you remember? It means that since you're attacking me with a spell caster, I can now summon one of my own! And guess which one I choose?" Dark Yugi grinned. "Dark Magician Girl!"

Atem pouted disappointedly. "Hmm…that's unfortunate."

"My Feral Imp is still destroyed, but Dark Magician Girl takes his place."

The flamboyant blonde appeared on the field. She playfully pointed her staff at the Dark Magician, earning a scowl from her master.

"It's too bad…master against apprentice…" Atem was genuinely upset about the situation. He wasn't seeing holograms. He saw two of his closest friends on opposite sides.

"_Come on, Pharaoh…it's not really them…"_

Atem didn't reply to Hikari Yugi. He sighed and looked up at his adversary. "Go."

Dark Yugi smirked. He drew from his deck and played another card. "This is Magic Formula. I do hope you remember it. I'll equip it to Dark Magician Girl, raising her attack strength to 2700!" As the blonde magician read the book, Dark Yugi glanced up at the Dark Magician. "My favorite monster…the last time I destroyed it, I sent you away."

Atem stared blankly at Dark Magician Girl. "I thought that didn't matter to you anymore."

Dark Yugi grimaced. "I'm not a fool…I wouldn't deny the truth. You hurt me. I loved you."

Atem ground his teeth together and looked away. "I already apologized…I can't take it back. I don't know what else you want me to do."

Dark Yugi pointed an accusing finger at Atem. "I want you to pay!"

Atem sighed and glanced up at him. "So be it."

"Dark Magician Girl! Attack your master with Dark Magic Attack!"

Atem watched his most trusted monster get blown away with a heavy heart. He wasn't sure what hurt more, the idea of Mana and Mahad fighting to the death or Dark Yugi's pain.

**Atem: 900**

**Yugi: 1300**

"Go on ahead, Pharaoh."

Atem complied, surprised by Dark Yugi's monotone. He had expected the darker part of his partner to be more pompous about his success, but apparently seeing the Dark Magician had affected him more than he would ever admit.

He frowned at the card he held. He hadn't seen Kaiba use it before, but he wasn't entirely surprised that it was in his deck. Atem's breath caught in his throat. He could still make it out of the duel with his soul...

"I lay one card face down." He sighed. _If only I could've drawn Monster Reborn instead…_

Atem stared at the card he had just placed on the field. He knew that the game was about to end. Only one turn away now. He knew what Yugi was planning to do, and he had a feeling that he would succeed before the inevitable end.

"Pass."

Dark Yugi gave him a mocking look. "Are…are you sure? I'm not sure that's entirely wise, aibou…" he said in a perfect imitation of Atem's voice. Atem gave him a hard stare and said nothing. Dark Yugi smirked. "So be it."

Dark Yugi closed his eyes and drew one last card. Before he even looked at it, he knew that it was one of the cards he had been waiting for. He smiled.

"This is the end Your Highness."

Atem nodded. "Indeed it is."

"I sacrifice my three monsters to summon Obelisk the Tormentor!"

Atem's gaze didn't waver as the menacing Egyptian God towered over him. Anyone else would've run out of fear, but the Pharaoh felt no such urge. He stared down the creature, remembering when it used to fight on his side.

"You fought bravely…it just wasn't enough. This is the end for you, Pharaoh." Dark Yugi cackled malevolently. "Obelisk! Tear him apart with Fists of Fury!"

Atem allowed a small smile to appear on his face as the Egyptian God lunched at him. "I activate my trap."

Dark Yugi froze. "What?"

"Ring of Destruction! It destroys any face up monster I choose and inflicts damage on both of our life points equal to that monster's attack points!" Atem pointed at the giant monster. "I choose Obelisk the Tormentor!"

In a great burst of light, Obelisk was destroyed. Both duelists shielded themselves from the blinding light surrounding them. Atem winced as he heard Yugi cry out in anger.

**Atem: 0**

**Yugi: 0**

When the light subsided, Atem saw that Yugi was shaking. Atem wanted nothing more than to comfort his other half. He wanted to let him know that everything would be alright…but it would have been a lie. Nothing was alright.

"A tie…A TIE?! What is this?!"

Atem stared at him blankly. "Since neither of us won, I suppose we should just walk away. Just go, Yugi. This isn't over."

Yugi shook his head vehemently. "Not a chance! It won't go away unless I dispose of you!"

Atem frowned. "What won't go away?"

Yugi snarled at him. "The _spark_!" Yugi placed both hands on the Puzzle. "I will never be at peace unless you're gone forever!"

Atem blinked. _He wants to get rid of Yugi…the old Yugi, _he thought in disbelief. He shook his head. "I cannot allow you to do that."

Yugi laughed. "Try to stop me!"

The Puzzle began to glow, and Atem closed his eyes. _I have to rely on my experience with Shadow magic…hopefully I can deflect it back at him and drive the darkness from his heart…could it be possible?_

He reached his hands out in front of him as if he were pushing against an invisible wall. Yugi laughed again. "Don't be absurd…"

Atem suddenly felt something on his palms. His hands felt like ice as the Shadow magic came into contact with his skin. A violent chill ran from his fingertips to his toes as he concentrated to push it away from himself. He could feel that he was beginning to lose his strength, but he pressed on. It had to end, and it had to end now.

Suddenly, warmth returned to him. The cold Shadow magic rushed away from him. His eyes snapped open in shock. _I…I didn't think it would actually work…_

He gaped at Yugi as the Shadows enveloped him. Yugi cried out in surprise as he was thrown onto his back. Atem watched him with immense unease as he slowly approached his still form.

Something had happened. Yugi's eyes were closed. Atem breathed a sigh of relief. "Aibou…wake up, I've done it. I…I've saved you."

Yugi's eyes fluttered for a moment. Atem's heart beat faster in anticipation. He felt a grin grow on his face as Yugi finally opened his eyes.

Atem paled. His grin disappeared.

Yugi's eyes were blood red.

"It…it's gone. You…you did this! You've done it! Partner!"

The tone was mocking. It was acidic. It burned Atem's ears.

"The spark, I don't feel it anymore! I can't thank you enough, Pharaoh…you destroyed the only part of me that still felt a connection to you…I'm flattered."

Atem stumbled away from Yugi, his eyes widening. "No…no I couldn't…I could never…Yugi…no…"

Yugi stood. "What's the point in calling me Yugi? I don't even feel like myself anymore…especially now that you've sent that _voice _to the Shadow Realm."

Atem shook his head. "You lie! I could never! It can't be…Yugi!"

The red-eyed teenager sneered. "I'm not Yugi." He chuckled.

Atem's gaze lowered to the ground. "Yami."

The boy laughed. "Sure, why not? It certainly fits me more than it does you these days." He walked toward Atem. He touched the Pharaoh's shoulder and leaned in close. "Thanks again, aibou." He kissed Atem on the check, ignoring the tears that he felt against his lips. "Think of that as a pity gift…after all, you _did _kill your other half."

Yami ran from the scene. He wasted no time in getting away as fast as possible. He didn't care that he had failed in his attempt to capture Atem's soul. He had gained more than he could have ever imagined: Yugi was gone.

Atem fell to his knees and crawled over to Joey's lifeless body. He collapsed onto his friend's chest and wept. He wasn't sure how long he had been there, but the tears didn't cease.

"Joey…I need you…please…" he cried against Joey's chest. "I…I killed Yugi…IT'S ALL MY FAULT!"

"Put your hands up where we can see them."

Atem stiffened. He raised his head slowly and turned around. Two police officers were pointing guns at his head, their car behind them with its lights flashing.

"Stand up slowly and put your hands on your head."

Atem complied fearfully. "This is…a misunderstanding, officers," Atem mumbled hoarsely.

The female snorted. "Right, like we haven't heard that before."

The man approached Atem and pulled his arms behind his back. He quickly restrained them in hand cuffs. "Yugi Mutou, you have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can be and will be used against you in a court of law. You are under arrest for the attempted murder of Kathryn Chase."

The female eyed Joey's body warily. "It seems like we've got another victim, Chuck."

Chuck groaned. "You sick bastard, you just can't stop, can you? You disgust me," he spat venomously. "Diane, stay behind and wait with the body. Call an ambulance."

Atem looked over at Joey. "Joey…Joey! Please…"

"Shut up, Mutou." Chuck opened the back door. "Get in!"

Atem didn't have the chance to do it himself. Chuck shoved him in forcefully. "If you say a single word on the way to the station, I will shoot you myself. Then you might know how it feels."

Atem sat up and leaned against the door after Chuck closed it. He watched as Diane took out her phone and dialed her number. As the police car pulled away from the basketball court, Atem stared at Joey. His eyes didn't leave his friend's lifeless face until it was out of his sight.

--

**A/N: **I will refer to the new/evil Yugi as Yami now, and the old/good Yugi as Yugi. I used Dark Yugi and Hikari Yugi in this chapter alone to distinguish the two until I came to the point where Dark Yugi became known as Yami. So…yeah…sorry if that was confusing.

I for one am very proud of this chapter. I really have never played the card game before, and I was afraid that writing a duel chapter would be dull…but this chapter turned out pretty well I think, I would love to hear your opinions though!

Also, I know that one card, Magic Dimension, doesn't actually have that effect. I had found a card that _did_ have that effect earlier, but when I needed its name for the chapter, I couldn't find it anywhere…so I took a similar card and gave it the other card's effect. I hope that doesn't bother anyone. I basically just went on the Yu-Gi-Oh! Wikia and looked at Kaiba and Yugi's decks from Battle City…yep. That's why I'm proud I guess haha.

Sorry if it's a little too long…I didn't really have a choice haha. I was going to wait until tomorrow to upload it, but I worked so long on this chapter, I just wanted to do it now. So yeah…review please!


	16. Chapter 15

**A/N: **I'm really sorry that I keep delaying my updates. I'll try to update at least one more time this week since I'm on Spring Break. I really want to finish this story, so don't worry, I'm not going to give up on it. This chapter's a little different, I hope you like it.

---

**Chapter Fifteen**

---

_Am I dead?_

He breathed out slowly. He lifted a hesitant hand to his chest. He frowned. No heartbeat.

_I'm dead…but how? What happened?_

He opened his eyes and looked around the room he was in. It was empty save for the single chair that he was sitting in. The walls and floor were completely made up of brown stone. For some reason, he felt as if he had been there before.

He tapped his foot against the floor and ran a hand through his tri-colored hair. If he was dead, why was he trapped in that empty room?

His eyes landed on the door directly in front of him. _Then again, maybe I'm not trapped…_

He shook his head and chuckled softly. Something told him that he shouldn't move, no matter how much he wanted to leave. There was something very familiar about this whole situation.

He was waiting for someone to find him, he was sure of it.

_But who?_

Yugi crossed his arms and stared blankly at the door. He silently begged it to swing open and reveal one of his friends, but he knew that it was hopeless. He was dead; none of his friends would be coming for him.

_Or am I not dead?_

Yugi sighed and leaned back against his chair. He knew better than to give himself false hope. Nevertheless, he continued to watch the door as if it could open at any moment.

Hours seemed to pass without any movement from neither the door nor Yugi. Yugi continued to stare at the door without blinking. Because of that, he was sure that he was dead. If he had been alive, he would've been forced to blink. He cracked a small smile as he considered it, but under the surface he was extremely remorseful.

He had done wrong. He had hurt many people. He had hurt Joey, Téa, Tristan…and Atem.

Yugi let out a deep breath. The short time he had been able to spend conversing with his other half via the mind link had been thrilling. He had been so tired of the pain he continued to inflict on his friends, it was a relief to see Atem smile and laugh.

But something had gone wrong. _What happened? _

He frowned. _Did Atem kill me?_

There was a short silence before Yugi burst into a fit of laughter.

"Atem would never hurt me."

Even as he said his thoughts out loud, another thought came to mind. _Who are you trying to convince?_

Yugi frowned again and shook his head. "No…I won't let those thoughts cloud my mind again."

Indeed, thoughts such as that had resulted in Yami. Yugi wasn't about to head down that path again. He would rather die.

He chuckled again.

_But I'm already dead._

Yugi's head jerked up in surprise as the door swung open. He blinked incredulously at the hunched over figure in the doorway gaping at him. One hand was pressed firmly against her stomach as the girl squinted in his direction.

"Atem…?"

Yugi cocked his head to the side as he studied the girl. She looked familiar, but for some reason he couldn't remember where he had seen her.

As she raised a foot to step into the room, however, Yugi's eyes widened.

He suddenly remembered when he had been in that room.

"No! Don't!" Yugi cried as he stood from his chair.

The girl looked startled, but it was too late. As soon as her foot came into contact with the floor, it immediately began to collapse. She let out a surprised scream as she teetered over the edge, but luckily Yugi was too fast. He tackled her out of the room and away from the ever-widening bottomless pit.

--

Kate breathed heavily in the boy's ear as they remained perfectly still. She groaned in pain as her wound burned again. She pressed it harder with her hand. _How did this happen? _

"Um…Atem…get off…"

The boy stood up and blushed as he stared down at her. "Sorry, I didn't mean for that to happen."

Kate nodded and moved her hand away from her wound. The boy stiffened visibly at the sight of it.

"What happened to you?"

Kate frowned. All she could remember was a dream. At least…she thought it had been a dream…

_Kate lay on the grass and stared up at the sky. She smiled as the wind rustled her blonde hair and the blades of grass. _

"_It's nice, you know? The sky is so huge, and it just happens to be blue…my favorite color."_

_She heard footsteps behind her and a throaty chuckle. "Blue is also the color of your eyes…convenient, hmm?"_

_Kate rolled over onto her stomach and looked up at the man in front of her. "Yours too you know."_

_Seto Kaiba rarely looked happy, but there was an undeniable grin on his face. He reached a hand out and pushed Kate's hair behind her ear. "So, here's the real question. Why is blue your favorite color?"_

_Kate shrugged. "I don't know…it's just pretty."_

"_So you think my eyes are pretty, huh?"_

_Kate frowned at his smug expression. "Oh come on, you love blue too, don't you?"_

_Kaiba grabbed her hands and pulled her to her feet. "Actually, I prefer the color red."_

_Kate cocked her head to the side curiously. "Why's that?"_

_Kaiba leaned his head in so that his lips were next to her ear. A shiver ran up her spine._

"_Close your eyes," he whispered softly._

_Kate nodded and closed her eyes. She felt him back away from her and she suddenly felt cold. She dismissed the feeling and waited patiently._

_Suddenly, there was a gut wrenching crack._

_Kate's eyes shot open. Her eyes met Kaiba's and she wished she could look away. His expression was cold and remorseless._

_He gestured toward her stomach with the gun in his hand. A small smile tugged at the edges of his mouth as Kate looked down to where he had been pointing. Her white blouse had been stained completely red with her blood. She let out a strangled cry and looked up at him once more._

"_That's why."_

"Hey…are you okay?"

Kate blinked. She looked up at the boy. "Atem…"

The boy shook his head. "I'm not Atem."

She stared into the boy's violet eyes and realized that he was right. His face was much more youthful than Atem's, and his skin was pale white instead of an exotic tan.

Kate frowned. "Who are you then?"

The boy knelt next to her and stared at the wound. "I'm Yugi Mutou."

For a moment, Kate couldn't remember where she had heard the name. She knew that it was familiar, but she couldn't quite place it. When realization dawned on her, however, she wished that she hadn't remembered at all.

She squirmed away from Yugi with a horrified look on her face. "You! You shot…you shot me!"

Yugi's jaw dropped open. That's when he finally recognized her face.

"You're Kathryn Chase."

Kate nodded and regarded him with a cold stare. Yugi reached a hand out to her but she quickly batted it away. "Don't touch me! You've done enough!"

Yugi frowned. "I don't understand. You're not dead, you survived…"

Kate sneered at him. "Apparently you were wrong," she hissed venomously.

Yugi shook his head. "No, you're alive! I saw you! I…I sealed your soul inside…"

Everything clicked in Yugi's mind and he smacked his palm against his forehead.

"How did I not see it? We're in the Millennium Puzzle! I'm not dead!"

Before he could jump up and dance around in celebration, Kate laughed. Yugi raised an eyebrow and waited for her to explain herself.

"You _sealed my soul_ in something? I thought you were crazy before, Yugi, but this really takes the cake," she gasped between laughs before doubling over in pain once more.

Yugi sighed and inched toward her. She watched him warily, but she was in too much pain to move away from him again. "Let me explain…it might be difficult for you to believe at first, but it's the truth, I swear."

Kate rolled her eyes and gestured for him to go on. He took a deep breath.

"Long ago, in ancient Egypt, there was a very powerful and well respected pharaoh. He was forced into a deadly battle with the Lord of Darkness, during which he had to sacrifice himself to seal the beast away. His own soul was sealed into an object known as the Millennium Puzzle, the necklace you have seen me wear in the outside world. When I was given the Puzzle, I completed it and released his spirit. You know him; you've met him numerous times over the past few days."

Kate looked away. "Atem."

Yugi nodded and a small grin appeared on his face. "Is it that obvious?"

Kate laughed. "He showed up in this elaborate ancient Egyptian outfit complete with gold crown, he has the strangest sense of fashion, and he speaks as if he's from a different time. So yes, it is pretty obvious…and as crazy as it sounds, it's also believable."

Yugi beamed at her. "You believe me?"

Kate shrugged. "I don't have a choice really."

Yugi chuckled. "Fair enough I guess. After we met, we were thrown into a constant whirlwind of trouble. New evils were constantly coming our way, seeking out the power of the Pharaoh. We beat them back each time, and every day we grew closer. He was my best friend, the other half to my soul…I couldn't imagine life without him anymore."

Yugi's expression darkened. "But deep down I knew it had to end. Atem was given the opportunity to finally be at peace in the Afterlife, and of course he accepted it. He left me. I loved him so much that it tore my heart in two to see him go." He dug his nails into his palms and squeezed his eyes shut. "I hated him for leaving me! I thought he didn't care about me! I thought that I meant nothing to him!"

He opened his eyes and stared at Kate. She wanted to hug him. His expression was so vulnerable, and she could see tears beginning to form in his eyes. His lower lip trembled as he fought to hold himself together.

"I didn't want to be hurt again. I pushed my friends away. I wanted to be alone…I _always _wanted to be alone. As time went on, I became colder and more distant. I never talked to my friends, hell, I rarely even talked to my grandpa. Two years passed, and I grew. I so much like the Pharaoh that it hurt to see my own reflection. I constantly reminded myself that Atem didn't care about me, that he didn't _love _me…"

A small smile appeared on Yugi's face. "And then…he came back. I could feel his love for me. I could see how much he missed me in his eyes. Part of me instantly forgave him, but the other part of me was still hateful. That part of me didn't want to let go of how much pain Atem had caused me…" Yugi shook his head sadly. "Yami was born as soon as Atem returned, and I was freed. Unfortunately, so much of me hated the Pharaoh that Yami was much more powerful. I had been despondent and cold for so long that I lost myself in it. I became a prisoner of my own hate…and that's who shot you. That's who took Tristan's soul, that's who took _Joey's _soul…and now I don't know what to do."

When his story was finished, all Kate could do was stare. She couldn't explain why, but she believed every word that came out of Yugi's mouth. She assumed that it was because Yugi was too cute and innocent to ever shoot a person. Also, she could see the pain and love in Yugi's eyes when he spoke of Atem.

She reached out and grabbed his hand, causing him to jump slightly. She smiled warmly at him. "You're his whole world. He told me that."

Yugi looked elated when she said that. His depressed expression quickly faded and a massive grin took its place. He nodded. "Thank you."

He helped her to stand. He frowned at her wound again and she sighed.

"I don't understand it. If we're just two souls trapped in this 'Millennium Puzzle' thing, why am I still bleeding? Shouldn't my soul be fine?"

Yugi nodded. "I don't think this wound has anything to do with me or my gun."

Kate looked at him curiously. "What do you mean?"

Yugi scratched his head. "This is just a theory, because I'm not sure of anything…but I think it has something to do with the condition of your heart…figuratively of course. Something broke your heart, am I correct? What happened to you?"

Kate stared at the floor. "Kaiba and I had a fight…he hates me. He fired me. We were just becoming friends, and now he can't trust me! I ruined it…I hurt him, and he hurt me."

Yugi raised an eyebrow at the thought of Kaiba having friends but said nothing on the subject. "You really care about him."

Kate nodded. "Yes…yes I do."

Yugi pulled her into a hug. "He's a tough nut to crack, so to speak. He puts up all of these defenses because of what he's been through over the years. He doesn't trust easily. When he began to trust you, I'm sure he was expecting you to let him down somehow. So even if you only did the _slightest _thing wrong, he would've been all over it."

Kate shook her head. "But it wasn't a small thing…I broke into his computer to find out who my grandpa's last customer was…I broke into his computer to find _you_."

Yugi pressed his lips together in a thin line. "I see. Well I'm sure that once he realized why it was so important for you to find me, he forgave you."

Kate shrugged. "I'm not so sure…but you seem to know a lot about him."

Yugi chuckled. "Well, we've been through a lot together. I'm not sure if he would exactly refer to me as a friend…especially now, but we are friends….kind of."

Kate giggled. "And to think, I thought for a moment that _he _had been the one that shot me."

Yugi laughed. "No way, I could see in his eyes that he wanted to kill me. He cares about you too you know."

Kate blushed and pulled away from Yugi's embrace. "You really think so?"

Yugi raised an eyebrow and smirked. "So…how much do you care about him?"

Kate laughed nervously. "He's my friend!"

Yugi nudged her with his elbow. "Right, okay, of course," he said sarcastically.

Kate rolled her eyes and Yugi grabbed her hand again. She looked at him questioningly and he smiled. "Let's find the others! They have to be in here somewhere…and if you haven't noticed, this place is extremely dark…and foggy."

Kate blinked as she quickly looked around herself. She had forgotten how dark the place had been until she found Yugi's room. She had had great difficulty navigating her way through the Puzzle until she had found Yugi. Kate suddenly realized that Yugi himself was _glowing. _He was basically a walking flashlight.

She squeezed his hand and returned the smile. "Sounds good to me."

--

"Move it, sonny! We haven't got all day!"

Joey cringed as the old man's voice called out to him once more. He squinted through the darkness, searching for any kind of indication as to where the man was. "Well excuse me for not running blindly into the dark! I don't want to run into anything!"

The old man laughed. "Well, I didn't run into anything, and you are moving as slow as rush hour traffic!"

Joey gritted his teeth and walked toward his voice. "Why did I have to get stuck with you? You're impossible!"

The old man laughed again, but he quickly cut himself off. "Hurry up, I think I hear something moving."

Joey froze. "You-you what?!"

"I _think _I hear something _moving_. Move it or lose it!"

Joey heard something as well, but he was too scared to even care where the sound was coming from. It was a slow, dragging noise, but since he couldn't see anything, it was enough to make him freak out. He sprinted blindly ahead while screaming his head off.

He suddenly collided with something, causing his screams to intensify. "Old man?! Please tell me that's you!"

He heard the man laughing again in the distance. Joey wasn't sure whether he should be afraid or angry, but that decision was made for him when he felt the _thing _stirring below him. He tried to jump away from whatever it was, but arms wrapped tightly around him. He did what any sane person would've done in that situation: he screamed like a girl.

The _thing _laughed hysterically beneath him. "Joey!"

Joey froze again. His screaming ceased and he could barely believe his ears. "T-Tristan?"

Tristan squeezed him until he couldn't breathe. "JOEY! Man, it's so good to see you! Well…not see you I guess…"

Joey felt tears spring to his eyes. "Tristan! I thought I was never goin' to…_hear_ you again! I missed ya so much…even though ya were only gone for like a day; I was so, so…"

Tristan snickered. "Scared? Were you scared Joey?"

Joey frowned. "No I wasn't scared! Who do ya think you're talkin' to?"

Tristan sighed. "I missed you too buddy…but where the hell are we?"

Joey shook his head and helped his friend stand. "I have no idea man…no idea whatsoever. All I know is that for the past several hours, I have been stuck with a crazy old man."

Mr. Chase huffed angrily as he neared the pair. "Who says I'm the crazy one? Being around you hasn't exactly been a walk in the park Mr. Wheeler!"

Tristan ignored both of them. "I think we're in the Millennium Puzzle, Joey."

Joey frowned. "What makes ya say that?"

Tristan grabbed Joey by the shoulders and turned him around.

"Doesn't that look familiar to you?"

Sure enough, there was a door directly in front of them. Normally they wouldn't have been able to see it, but there was the gold Eye of Udjat in the center, and it was glowing.

Joey gasped. "Now I remember…my duel with Yuge…"

Tristan nodded. "I can't believe I forgot what happened."

"…What the _hell _are you boys talkin' about?" Mr. Chase grumbled impatiently.

--

**A/N: ** This was more of a transition chapter. Stuff happening within the Puzzle will get more interesting.

Please tell me that it's obvious that a certain someone in this chapter has certain feelings for a certain CEO. I'm pretty sure I made it clear, but who knows…maybe some of my readers are dense :).

I hope you like the chapter! Review please!


	17. Chapter 16

---

**Chapter Sixteen**

---

"One briefcase, a Kaiba Corp Duel Disk and a Duel Monsters deck…" Chuck dropped the items on his desk. He scratched his head as he stared at them. He picked up the deck and quickly looked through it. He pulled out three cards. "Hmm…three Blue-Eyes White Dragons? I'm pretty certain this deck belongs to Seto Kaiba. Should I add petty theft to your list of charges, boy?"

Atem stared at the three dragons. "He lent me his cards, officer."

Chuck nodded. "Right, of course…I'm sure he would be _very _willing to lend you his prized deck after you shot his personal assistant."

Atem sighed. "I didn't shoot her."

Chuck slammed the cards down on the desk and glared at Atem. "The evidence says otherwise, Mutou! Confess already, you're dragging this out!"

Atem looked away. "I'm not Yugi."

Chuck laughed and shook his head incredulously. "Is that so? Well, you sure as hell look like him." He thrust a picture of Yugi in Atem's face.

Atem blinked as he stared at the photo. He was normally a very strong individual, but he felt as if the gods were attempting to torture him.

The picture was of his partner. Not the imposter that was still stalking through the streets of Domino that very moment. No, the picture was of Yugi when he was happy. His innocent, beautiful eyes beamed at the camera and a wide smile was spread over his face. The Millennium Puzzle hung around his neck. Atem sighed heavily as he fought his guilt ridden tears. He forced his eyes to leave Yugi's face and return to Chuck's.

"That's not me."

Chuck groaned and returned the picture to his desk. "So be it. Come on, there's a temporary holding cell with your name on it. I'll get to the bottom of this, and when I do, I'm going to move you to a _permanent _jail cell."

He grabbed Atem by the arm and escorted him through the halls of the police station.

"I do believe I get one phone call."

Chuck laughed. "What makes you think that?"

Atem glared at him. "I saw it on TV."

"I don't offer phone calls to murderers," Chuck hissed as he shoved Atem into a holding cell with two other people. He closed the door and locked it as Atem rushed forward and grasped the bars.

"I didn't kill anyone!" Atem yelled after the retreating officer.

Chuck turned to him halfway and nodded. "You're right…but you sure as hell tried to."

A low snarl escaped Atem's lips as he shook the door violently. "You can't deny me my rights, officer!"

Chuck smirked and began to walk away again. "Watch me, asshole."

Atem loosened his grip on the bars and bowed his head in defeat. He sighed as he stared at the ground. If he didn't get that phone call, he was never going to get out of that jail cell. If he never left, who would stop Yami? Who would Yami hurt next?

Atem closed his eyes and winced. "Téa…" he whispered mournfully.

"_Then do something to save that silly girl of yours."_

Atem's eyes snapped open. Sometimes he wondered if the real Bakura had somehow taken up residence in his mind, but he knew that was impossible.

"I can't, I'm stuck here until someone can spring me," Atem muttered under his breath.

Atem heard one of the men behind him snort. "Fat chance of that, boy!"

Atem ignored him and sighed again. All he could think about was his last moments with Yugi. The last words Yugi said to him…and Yami's triumphant grin as Yugi was taken away once and for all. Atem's grip tightened around the bars once more. _I've lost him…forever._

"_You don't know that for certain! You should've learned by now that you shouldn't just jump to conclusions."_

Atem groaned. "He's gone, Bakura! Leave me be!"

"…How did you know I was even here?"

Atem instantly straightened at the sound of that voice. He spun around and found himself face to face with a very familiar white-haired boy.

"B-Bakura?" Atem stuttered in disbelief.

The boy frowned. "If you didn't know I was here, why did you just say my name?"

Atem blinked at him in shock. "Ryou…"

Ryou nodded and stared at him as if he was crazy. "Yes…it's me, Ryou…"

"Right, I'm just…hearing things…"

Ryou paled. "Don't tell me you're hearing _him_."

Atem smiled. "It's difficult to explain…I'm sane, I swear."

The same man from before snorted again, but he said nothing.

Atem frowned. "Why are you here?"

Ryou smirked. "It's a funny story actually."

Atem sighed in relief and smiled. "I would love to hear it. I'm dying to have a good laugh…it seems impossible these days."

Ryou gave him a sympathetic look before his smile returned. "Well, it all started with a jelly bean…"

"Ryou Bakura! You're free to go."

Ryou sighed. "Another time, eh? I'll see you around Pharaoh."

Ryou walked around Atem to get to the door, but the former pharaoh grabbed his wrist. Ryou eyed him curiously.

"You knew."

Ryou laughed. "Of course I knew! Yugi isn't tan…and from what I've seen, he's gone completely bonkers." He grimaced. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it that way…I meant that he isn't acting like himself."

Atem nodded. "You have no idea." He stared intensely into Ryou's eyes. "I need to get out of here, Ryou. Go to the hospital and find Téa. Tell her that I've been arrested. I can see no other way out of this mistaken identity crisis."

Ryou flashed him a thumbs up. "Sure thing, you'll be out of here in no time."

Atem smiled at him gratefully and released his wrist. As Ryou walked away, however, Atem felt a great sadness creeping into his heart. He no longer had any distractions except for the relentless voice of his nemesis. He traced the bars with his finger and sighed deeply. His thoughts returned to Yugi.

"_Don't mourn him when you aren't even sure of his fate! Pull yourself together, Pharaoh. We've been over this. I shouldn't even waste my time; anything I say seems to go in one ear and out the other! Are you even listening to me? I shouldn't be surprised, you arrogant, stubborn, self-righteous little-"_

"I know what you're in here for, boy."

Atem whirled around and found himself face to face with a large man's chest. His eyes traveled up to the man's intimidating face. Atem frowned as he studied the man.

"You shot a young lady."

Atem shook his head. "No, no it's a mistake…I didn't shoot her!"

The man rolled his eyes. "That's what they all say! I have a little girl at home, you pig! I can't imagine what that girl's father is thinking!"

Atem blinked. He had forgotten about Kate's father. But that didn't matter to him for very long. Suddenly the man had his hands on Atem, and it was apparent that he didn't intend to let go. Atem struggled in his clutches, fear finally snapping at his heels.

"I'm going to teach you a lesson on pain, boy, and maybe you'll understand what that poor girl is going though!"

--

"But Ishizu…how was I supposed to know that I had to read the door? I got through it, that's all that matters!"

Ishizu glared at her brother. "Luckily! You could've been killed! It was so careless for you to just walk in there without reading the door first! It was obvious that the writing was there for a reason!"

Marik crossed his arms. "I didn't see you stopping me! You _let _me walk in there without reading first!"

Ishizu's eye twitched. "You can't just shift the blame onto me, Marik…"

Marik stood up abruptly. "I'm not _blaming _anyone! I'm fine! I got out in one piece and the Pharaoh has returned! Let it go, sister!"

Ishizu sighed angrily and looked away. "Fine, I'll drop it."

Téa groaned. "Finally…"

Ishizu raised an eyebrow and glanced at the young brunette. "I apologize, Téa." She nudged Marik with her foot.

"Yes, me too," Marik mumbled, his eyes still on Ishizu.

Téa shrugged. "It's okay. I'm glad you made it out of there, Marik."

Marik grinned. "You and me both!"

Ishizu sighed again and let her face fall into her hands. "I wonder if the Pharaoh made any progress…it has been a long time since we last saw him."

Téa looked over at the door concernedly. "Yeah…me too. I'm worried about him."

Marik placed a hand on her shoulder as he sat down again. "I wouldn't worry about the Pharaoh, he can handle himself."

Téa's jaw dropped open as the front doors of the hospital burst open. Several paramedics rushed a stretcher toward the hallways. Téa gasped as she instantly recognized the unconscious blonde lying on top of it.

"JOEY!"

Téa surprised even herself with her scream. She jumped up and surged forward. Marik and Ishizu exchanged grim looks as they jumped up to restrain Téa.

"There's nothing you can do now, Téa! Let the paramedics do their job!" Ishizu cried out.

Téa shook her head in disbelief. "Atem didn't make it…he failed…_Yugi took Joey away_."

She broke down in tears. Marik caught her before she could collapse altogether. He guided her back to the seats and let her down gently. She looked up at him with red eyes.

"Your vision came true…maybe there is nothing we can do…Yugi is beyond saving…"

Marik shook his head vigorously. "I refuse to believe that."

"Téa?"

Téa's gaze flew to the newcomer. Joey's shocking return to the hospital had allowed the familiar man to find his way to their chairs without being noticed. She blinked up at him in surprise. She hadn't seen him in so long that she had almost thought he had moved away from Domino altogether.

"Ryou? What are you doing here?"

Ryou frowned. "I bring bad news I'm afraid…Atem has been arrested. The police mistook him for Yugi. He told me to find you."

Téa's shoulders slumped. She was both relieved and devastated at the same time. On one hand, Atem was alive. On the other, he was in jail, and she wasn't sure how to get him out.

Téa sighed. "How did you find out?"

Ryou chuckled. "Well…I was in jail first. I saw him being brought in, and soon after they released me."

Téa nodded. "I'm going to call Kaiba…I don't know who else could help us."

Ishizu and Marik stared after her as she calmly walked outside. Ishizu said nothing; her expression remained grim as she watched Ryou sit down between her and Marik.

Marik glanced at Ryou curiously. "So…how did you end up in jail?"

Ryou smiled. "Well, it all started with a jelly bean…"

--

"Come on, boy! Take your medicine!"

Atem leaned against the wall and clutched his stomach. He began to regret not fighting back, though he was pretty certain that he wouldn't have been very effective. He gasped for air and looked up at his assailant warily. The man's eyes were full of hatred and malice as he stared down at the former pharaoh. Atem sighed inwardly. _It is painful for me to see a resemblance between his hatred and Yugi's…_

"Fight back, boy! You're taking the fun out of this!" He growled tauntingly.

Atem straightened himself. He once again stood with a noble and confident air about him, irritating the man further. He grabbed Atem by the collar and shoved him up against the wall with all of his might. Atem groaned as his back began to ache.

The man smirked. "That's what I like to hear."

Atem stared at the ground as he waited for the man to finally assault his face. He had been taking so much time to beat the rest of Atem's body that his face was still completely unharmed. Atem chuckled sardonically as he thought about what his stomach would look and feel like in the morning.

The man shook him violently. "What's funny? I don't recall making a joke!"

Atem looked into his eyes. "I was just taking pity on that daughter of yours. Here you are assaulting me, yet your daughter has to live with a father that is in jail. How do you think that makes her feel? Do you think she is _proud _of you?"

The man's eye twitched. He took a deep breath and once again buried his fist in Atem's stomach, earning a pained cry from the shorter man. The inmate smirked and punched him again. That time he released Atem and watched him slide to the ground, doubled over in pain.

"You dare pass judgment on me? I didn't shoot anyone! I didn't try to _kill _anyone!"

Atem's arms cradled his stomach as he looked up at the man indignantly. "Oh, and what _did _you do? It would probably be very safe to assume that you've beaten this precious daughter of yours, seeing how violent you've been with me."

That was it. That one comment broke the dam. The man let one tear fall as he reared his foot back for another strike. "You know nothing! Y-you don't know…you don't know what I've been through!"

Atem took the man's kick without even a blink. He felt horrible for what he had just said to the man out of anger. He had no right to pass judgment on others, and he felt no better than Yami. Yami was cruel to others. He said all of the right things to put someone over the edge. He had experienced that feeling himself, and he was sure that Joey and Tristan had as well.

He had made this man cry, this _stranger_. He knew nothing about the man, but because he had been hurt, he fought back with his words when he didn't feel that he could fight with his fists. He felt like a coward and a hypocrite, and didn't even bother to argue with the man anymore.

He deserved the beating, much like how Yami deserved what was coming to him.

The man stopped wailing on Atem when he felt someone grab his shoulder. He whirled around to face the stranger, but he was met with a fist. He cried out in surprise as he collapsed to the ground holding his face.

Atem blinked and looked up at the man in shock. He was wondering if he was hallucinating.

"Why don't you pick on someone your own size, coward?"

The man snarled as he rolled over onto his back. "Just who do you think you are, you son of a-"

His eyes fell on the newcomer. He stared at the man with almost as much shock as Atem.

"Wait…you're…you're-!"

"That's right." A leather-booted foot planted itself firmly on the inmate's chest. "I'm Seto Kaiba, and you're a bully. I'm not sure if you've heard, but I'm not too fond of bullies."

The inmate gulped and stared at Kaiba with wide eyes. "I…this man shot that girl! He did! Why are you defending him?"

Kaiba shook his head. "You shouldn't jump to conclusions, this man is innocent." He looked over at Atem who was still gaping at the young CEO. "Get up, we're leaving."

The inmate was about to say something else, but Kaiba silenced him with a glare. "If you so much as _blink _in my friend's direction again, you will live to regret it."

He removed his foot and looked at Atem once again. The former pharaoh was still frozen in shock and relief. Kaiba smirked and grabbed Atem's arm. He pulled Atem to his feet and quickly escorted him out of the cell.

Chuck stood holding the cell door open. He eyed Atem warily, but the hostility was gone from his face. "I'm still not sure if that footage was doctored or not…but if you truly are innocent, I apologize for my behavior."

Atem blinked and looked over at Kaiba. Seto stared back at him with a confident smile on his face. Atem frowned and opened his mouth to speak, but Seto shook his head.

"Wait," Kaiba whispered as he pointed to the front door of the station.

Atem nodded and gently pulled his arm out of Kaiba's grip. They walked in silence until they were safely out of the police station and inside Kaiba's convertible.

Kaiba started the car and began to drive away when Atem cleared his throat. Kaiba glanced at him out of the corner of his eye and waited for him to speak.

"How did you free me?"

Kaiba shrugged. "I don't know why everyone was so worried about the possibility. At first, yes, I thought that there was no way to distinguish the two of you to the cops without having you both standing next to each other, but when I saw you on the news, it all became clear to me." As they stopped at a red light, he turned to Atem. "The security footage of the fight between you and Yugi in my office…I'm not sure why I didn't think of it before! It worked, obviously, and you were freed."

Atem frowned again. "I was on the news?"

Kaiba nodded and stared ahead again as the light turned green. "Yes, a lucky reporter briefly caught you entering the police station on camera. I recognized the clothes and knew that it was you that had been arrested and not Yugi. Téa called me while I was already on my way to the station, apparently that Bakura guy showed up at the hospital and told her of your arrest."

Atem looked around in surprise and realized that they had already reached the Kaiba mansion. He sighed in relief and smiled as he recognized the familiar building. He hadn't realized how tense he had been until the sight of the mansion had relaxed him.

"I told Téa to come to the mansion to wait for you."

Atem looked over at him in surprise. "Why?"

Kaiba sighed. "I knew you'd be worried about her, and it was pretty obvious that she was worried about you as well."

As Kaiba parked the car, Atem continued to study him. "Did you mean what you said in that jail cell? When you called me your friend?"

Kaiba switched off the vehicle and placed his hands in his lap as he turned to face Atem. "I hardly ever say things I don't mean. However, my friendship isn't anything to rejoice over. If anything, it's a curse."

Atem rolled his eyes. "You can still make it right."

Kaiba nodded and smiled. "I plan to."

He exited the car, and so did Atem. Kaiba walked straight into the house without another word, but Atem hadn't moved at all. His eyes had fallen on the brunette sitting on a bench near the front door of the mansion. She stared back at him with sadness in her eyes.

He slowly approached her and sat down beside her. He stared deeply into her blue eyes and took a deep breath.

"I failed."

Téa nodded and looked away. "Joey was rushed into the hospital shortly before I left."

"I tried, Téa. Believe me, I tried…" he found it difficult to continue.

Téa's face crumbled with sadness as she turned to him once more. "Why is he doing this? Where did my Yugi go? I miss him so much, Atem…"

It was Atem's turn too look away. He couldn't look her in the eye when he told her the worst of the news he had to share. He couldn't bear to see her cry.

"Yugi's gone, Téa. I didn't just fail Joey, I failed Yugi. I…I tried to send his dark side to the Shadow Realm, but instead…instead I…" It wasn't common for Atem to have difficulty forming sentences, but he didn't want to admit his failure. He wanted more than anything to hear that he was wrong.

"I sent Yugi to the…" Atem shook his head, and refused to continue, but Téa got the message. She placed her hands on each of Atem's shoulders and touched her forehead to his.

"It's not your fault. You tried…you did, I know it. You love Yugi more than anything." Téa sighed. "Don't punish yourself. There's still a battle to be won if we are to save the others."

Atem leaned away from Téa so that he could look into her eyes again. "I'm not sure if I can."

Téa shook her head stubbornly. "Nonsense, you can do anything. I have faith in you, Atem…" She smiled. "I know it sounds cliché, but you need to have faith in yourself as well."

Atem frowned. "I try, but it's just so damn hard, Téa! I could've prevented all of this from happening if I had just stayed!"

Téa shook her head again. "You wouldn't have been happy. You would've just been a spirit trapped in the Puzzle for another three thousand years, and that would've been unfair for us to demand of you! Though none of us wanted you to go, you did the right thing by leaving. It was the right thing for _you_. You can't always help everyone. You aren't Superman, you know, no matter how much it may seem like it sometimes." She laughed softly.

Atem gave her a small smile. "Sometimes I seem like Superman? I think that's a bit of an exaggeration, Téa."

Téa smiled warmly and placed a gentle hand on his cheek. "Well, you're pretty damn close."

Atem felt a rush of emotions all at once. He felt fear, guilt, gratefulness…and he felt loved. Téa loved him, and for the second time, he felt the power and strength behind the emotion…and he realized that it wasn't one sided.

He closed the small space between them and softly touched his lips to hers. Her eyes widened momentarily in surprise, but she whole-heartedly returned the kiss as her eyes slid shut. It was like nothing either of them had experienced before, and it came at a time where they both needed whatever comfort they could find.

It didn't last too long, but it was all that they needed. Atem was the one that broke the contact, leaving Téa in a daze. He chuckled as he watched her cheeks redden and her eyes open. She smiled nervously and waited for him to say something. His confident smirk had returned, much to her amusement.

"You should go on home, Téa. It's getting late."

Téa nodded slowly as if in a dream like state. "Uh huh…" she replied dreamily.

Atem shook his head in amusement and helped her to her feet as he stood. He squeezed her hand. "Thank you," he whispered.

Téa gave him a puzzled look. "For what?"

Atem smiled. "For loving me."

--

He watched as Atem walked into the house, leaving Téa all alone. His blood boiled as he watched the woman touch her lips in disbelief like a hormonal teenager. His hands shook as the last couple of minutes replayed in his mind.

Yami glared at the brunette as she just stood there, staring at the door that Atem had gone through. He didn't care…he didn't want to care.

_But I do care!_

Yami gripped his pistol tightly in his hand. _Why do I care? The spark is gone…why do my feelings for her remain?_

Yami fumed as he watched her finally walk to her car. Jealousy flared inside of him as the image of their kiss was burned into his memory. He thought that his feelings for Téa would die away along with the spark, but much to his dismay, he was wrong.

He still cared for her. He still loved her.

She had even said that she had loved him as well! She lied!

He emerged from the bushes and silently approached Téa's car. He wasn't going to let her get away with such treachery. His heart had already been broken enough for one lifetime by the other person involved. He wasn't going to stand for the pain she was causing him.

He swiftly opened the door and slipped into the passenger seat. His eyes flew to Téa's, which were staring at him in horror. He chuckled with pleasure at the fear on her face. He nudged her chin with the tip of his pistol and grinned.

"Hello, Téa. Did you miss me?"

--

**A/N: **The big final showdown between Yami and Atem is fast approaching! I hope you are all ready, because I plan on it being completely epic. I'm so excited to finish this story, as much as I love writing it. I can't wait for you to see how it ends.

Ryou's story…haha. Well, let's just say it was a crazy night out on the town with a lot of unexpected occurrences. I have an idea to write a short story about it and have it be a companion to this story, so if you do want to see it, say so in a review. It involves Yami/Yugi (since at the time they were still kinda the same person), but that's all I'm going to give away. So let me know if you want me to write it!

The "thank you for loving me" was an idea I got from watching _I Love You, Beth Cooper_. I thought it was incredibly sweet, and it was pretty fitting in this story because Téa's love helped Atem get through his depression, and here it helped him again. I just thought I'd mention that.

I hope you liked it!


	18. Chapter 17

**Chapter Seventeen**

She looked so peaceful in sleep that he almost didn't want to wake her up…almost.

He had run out of sympathy for the girl he loved. She had betrayed him, lied to him…and no matter how much he wished he could deny it, it cut deep into his heart.

Yami took a deep breath and let it out slowly as he watched her. The tranquil expression on her face was almost humorous to him given her current situation…almost.

He brushed a strand of her brunette hair out of her face and smiled. She was a beautiful woman, and even though he wanted nothing more than to hurt her for what she had done, he still felt his heart skip a beat each time he looked at her.

He traced the side of her face with his forefinger and watched as her eyes slowly fluttered open. Her eyes lazily made their way to his and she smiled.

"Yugi…I've missed you…"

Yami's smile widened at the sound of her voice, but he said nothing. His finger lingered on her cheek.

"It's been so hard to live without you, Yugi. Why did you leave us? Why did you have to go?" She whispered. She frowned as she fought back tears.

"It's difficult for me to explain," Yami replied softly.

Her frown deepened as she sat up. She reached out to him and placed a hand on his cheek. He visibly stiffened at the contact, but he didn't move. Her lower lip trembled and she looked down at the ground.

"Why have you done such horrible things?"

Yami frowned. "Some questions are better left unanswered, Téa," he answered coldly.

She ignored the tone in his voice. "Right now I don't care…I just need my Yugi."

Téa wrapped her arms around his neck and held him close. The sudden closeness between them left Yami immobilized by shock. He hadn't expected her to suddenly forget everything he had done and embrace him. It was the second time that she had caused him to almost feel conflicted…almost.

He timidly wrapped his arms around her and closed his eyes. For a moment he forgot how much her betrayal had hurt. He squeezed her tight as if it would be the last time he would be able to do so.

"Please, God, don't let this dream end…"

Yami's eyes snapped open. "Dream?"

Téa sighed into his ear. "Only in my dreams would the real Yugi be here with me."

Yami sneered and pushed her away. "If you mean that insufferable _voice_, he's gone."

Téa blinked. "What?"

Yami smirked. "Your ingenious pharaoh boyfriend sent him to the Shadow Realm."

Téa's eyes widened as she realized what had happened. She stared into his eyes, noticing for the first time that they were blood red instead of the familiar violet hue. "This isn't a dream…you're not the real Yugi, and you kidnapped me!"

Yami's sneer returned. "Or maybe I _am _the real Yugi."

Téa shook her head vehemently. "I refuse to believe that! Yugi is a good person!"

Yami laughed. "You're a silly girl."

He grabbed her arm and forced her to her feet. She continued to stare at him with hatred.

"But at least now I know that there is some shred of who you used to be still in that cold heart of yours."

Yami raised an eyebrow and looked at her. "Is that so? Care to explain?"

Téa put her face close to his. "For a brief moment, you touched my face, you were gentle, and you _held _me. There is good in you, no matter what has happened to the 'voice' you keep talking about."

"I don't give a damn about what you think, you're delusional, and you don't know a _thing _about me anymore," Yami snarled as he dragged her into a small room.

"Where are we?" Téa asked.

"All that matters is that this is where it ends. This is where it will _all _end."

Téa tugged on her arm in his grasp and stared at him in disgust. "I'm not afraid of you, Atem will come for me. He'll save me, he always has!" She cried out confidently.

Yami chuckled darkly. The glint in his eyes was murderous. He leaned in close to Téa's ear. "I'm counting on it," he whispered dangerously, sending a shiver down her spine.

Suddenly, with tremendous force, he brought the handle of his pistol down on Téa's head, knocking her unconscious. He stared down at her solemnly after she collapsed to the floor.

"I love you, Téa," he whispered icily. "But that won't stop me now. This all needs to end, and I need you out of my life…permanently."

* * *

"Why do there have to be so many _stairs _in this god forsaken place?"

Yugi sighed and turned around. Kate was lagging behind, her face red from exertion. He stepped toward her and held out his hand.

"Kate, we aren't even really walking, and you're tired?" Yugi shook his head.

Kate took his hand and groaned as he began to pull her up the stairs once more. "Is there any way for us to get out of this place?"

Yugi frowned as he continued to drag Kate along. "I'm not entirely sure. I've never been locked away in here before. I wonder how Atem used to take over?"

Kate raised an eyebrow. "Wait a second, Atem used to _take control _of your body?"

Yugi laughed and nodded. "Yeah…it was pretty weird for me too at first."

Kate smiled. "I bet."

Yugi frowned in concentration as he continued to pull Kate through the labyrinth. She watched him with great interest.

"So what's the plan?" Kate asked enthusiastically. She was willing to do whatever it took to get out.

Yugi stopped, resulting in a hushed 'Yes!' from Kate. "Well, first we have to find the others. If you're in here, Joey, Tristan and your grandfather must be in here too. After that, we have to find the power center of the Puzzle, so that I can activate it and take control of my body again."

Kate nodded. "I think it's kinda lame that you have to forcibly take control of _your own _body again. It doesn't seem fair."

Yugi shrugged. "I've learned that life isn't always fair."

Kate placed a hand on his shoulder and shook him. "Come on, it couldn't have been that bad."

Yugi chuckled. "You have no idea…in fact, I doubt you would believe me."

Kate rolled her eyes and moved her hand down to Yugi's upper arm. She started to drag him down the hallway, much to his surprise. "Please, I believed you about Atem being a pharaoh, and I believed you about the Millennium Puzzle…try me. We have nothing else to do while we search for the others anyway."

Yugi smiled at her. "Well, before Atem came into my life, I was very lonely. I didn't have any friends besides my grandpa. I know that sounds pathetic, but it's true. Then my grandpa gave me the box containing the pieces of the Puzzle, and he told me that the person who solved it would inherit the power of the Shadows…and that their wish would be granted. It took me a long time to complete, but when I did I…I wished for true friends. And I met them in a very strange way…" Yugi laughed gleefully. "Joey bullied me."

Kate raised an eyebrow. "And you're happy about that?"

Yugi's smile widened at the memories. "Not the bullying part, no…but when we became friends, I couldn't have been happier. Joey and Tristan were beat up by a bully, and I defended them…after that, we became inseparable. Téa and I had been friends as kids, but it wasn't until high school that we reconnected…because of the Puzzle, I'm sure of it."

"I refuse to believe that, you seem like such a nice guy Yugi, I'm sure the Puzzle's power had little to do with it," Kate reassured him.

Yugi shook his head, and his shoulders drooped ever so slightly. "It was the person inside the Puzzle that caught her attention, not the wish."

Kate frowned. "Atem?"

Yugi nodded, and Kate swore that he looked sad. "He's charming, confident, strong…everything I'm not. She fell for him, and though I tried to convince myself that she loved me instead, it just wasn't so."

Kate shook her head. "Come on, Yugi, there's no way that-"

"Kate." Yugi gave her a stern look. "No offense, but you barely know me, and you've never even met Téa," he said pointedly.

Kate's face relaxed. "I'm sorry, please go on."

Yugi looked apologetic, but he continued. "The three of us became inseparable, like I said." He grinned again. "This one time, Téa drew this symbol on our hands that-"

"That looked like a freakin' smiley face."

Yugi froze. He knew that voice, and all of the guilt from his misdeeds rose to the surface once more. Kate squeezed his arm in an effort to comfort him, but she failed. Yugi was afraid to face his best friend more than he ever had been before.

"Turn around Yugi."

Joey's voice didn't sound friendly. It sounded cold. It sounded distant. It sounded angry.

Yugi turned slowly around, but he bowed his head so that Joey couldn't see into his eyes. Yugi didn't want his friend to see him cry.

"What have you done?" Joey growled angrily. "You betrayed us! We've been best friends for years, and suddenly you hate us! You've hurt us all, so tell me, what do you have to say for it Yugi?"

Yugi said nothing for a long time. Joey faltered a bit, wondering what had happened to the cold and emotionless freak he had dueled against.

"I-I'm sorry, Joey…I…"

Joey blinked. He stared at Yugi as if he were seeing the sun for the first time. He dropped to his knees and looked up into Yugi's face. Tears were streaming down his face like glistening waterfalls. Joey gawked at him in awe, unsure if he could believe what he was seeing.

"Two years…it's been two years…but it's really you, isn't it…Yuge?"

Yugi opened his mouth, but only managed to choke out another sob. Joey took that as his answer and threw his arms around his best friend's waist.

"Yuge! God, I don't care what you've done…you're back, you're really back…I love you, man…" Joey cried out, trying to hold back tears of his own. He buried his face into Yugi's shirt and squeezed him tighter. "You're my best friend, you know that, dontcha?"

Yugi shook his head. "N-no, I'm not your best friend, J-Joey…best friends don't do to each other what I did to y-you."

Joey released Yugi and looked up into his amethyst eyes once more. "Yuge, you lost your way…it happens to the best of us. It doesn't matter now," he smiled and put his hands on Yugi's arms. "I've forgiven you."

Yugi looked as if he wanted to say something more, but he decided against it. Instead, he settled for a simple: "I love you too, Joey."

Joey stood and practically tackled Yugi in another hug. "I missed you buddy…I really did."

"Th-that's just…s-so…aw!"

Yugi chuckled, thinking it was Kate who was getting all weepy over his and Joey's reunion. But when another pair of strong arms wrapped around him, Yugi realized that he was wrong.

"Tristan! Did anyone ever tell you that you cry like a girl?" Joey laughed joyously.

Tristan grunted. "Whatever, man…at least I knew it was the real Yugi before you did."

Joey tightened his hold on Yugi, so much so that the latter winced in pain. "What are you talkin' about? You've been hiding with the old man in the dark ever since we realized the light was Yugi!"

Yugi blinked. "Old man?" he asked, though his question was muffled by Joey's tight embrace.

"Grandpa? Grandpa!" Kate yelled to the darkness.

With a grin, Mr. Chase emerged from the darkness. Kate skipped toward him and dropped down to one knee.

"I do hope you're not trying to propose to me, dear…that's not legal here."

Kate rolled her eyes. "Always with the jokes…grandpa, I've missed you…and I'm so sorry for everything."

Mr. Chase frowned and shook his head. "No, Kathryn…I'm sorry. I was wrong about your father, and I shouldn't have done what I did. I wrecked our family, but there's still time to make it right."

Kate stood and hugged her grandfather. "I'm sorry for ignoring you and not visiting you for all of these years. I was angry over mom's death and I took it out on you. That was wrong, I love you, and we have so much time to make up for."

They broke apart and turned to the rest of the group. Joey's jaw hung open in shock while Tristan and Yugi merely smiled.

"You…you actually have a heart, old man?" Joey asked, bewildered.

Mr. Chase laughed. "Of course you wouldn't have thought that, I'll admit I'm somewhat of an ass when it comes to irritating teenage boys."

Joey crossed his arms indignantly. "I'm not _that _irritating…"

"No, he has a point, Joey," Tristan snorted.

Yugi raised his hands as Joey readied his retort. "Enough, enough," he commanded. "We have to get out of here, yes? To do that, I must get to the power center of the Puzzle. I'm not sure exactly where that would be…life would be much easier if the door was marked somehow…"

Joey perked up. "Oh! We saw a marked door! It had a big ol' golden eye on it, and it was glowing!"

Yugi beamed at him. "Really, could you take us there? That could be it!"

Joey puffed out his chest and grinned proudly. "I had a pen in my pocket when you sealed my soul away, so I marked the way with eyeballs…it was the first thing that came to mind after seeing that door," Joey told them, pointing to an eyeball on a wall nearby.

Mr. Chase smirked. "Oh, would you look at that…blondie here did something useful."

Joey stomped up to him. "That's more than you've done! Stop treating me like I'm useless!"

Mr. Chase burst into a fit of laughter. "Take it easy, Bruce Banner…don't get too angry."

Tristan laughed and clapped Mr. Chase on the back. "You know what? I think this guy should hang at Biggby Coffee with us."

Joey looked as if he was about to burst with rage, but Yugi once again got the attention of everyone.

"Guys, the sooner we find that door, the sooner we get out of here."

Joey smiled at Yugi innocently. "It could take a while though…we've walked for several hours from the Eye Door."

Kate smiled at all of them. "Yugi was about to tell me a story…he said it was long."

Yugi nodded and they all started following Joey's trail. "Right! Well, one day I was trying to teach Joey how to play Duel Monsters, and I mentioned something about my grandfather's game shop. I talked about how he had a super rare card, and Kaiba must've overheard me, because…"

* * *

"I can't move."

Kaiba held back his laughter as he stared at Atem. The former pharaoh was lying on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. Apparently, he was so sore that he couldn't move any of his limbs.

"Maybe you should start picking fights with people your own size," Kaiba said with a smirk.

Atem's head rotated so that he could glare at Kaiba. "Firstly, I didn't start the fight. Secondly, why aren't you helping me?"

Kaiba laughed and walked over to Atem's bedside. He grabbed the former pharaoh's hand and pulled him to his feet. Atem winced in pain as he stood.

"I never want to go to jail again," he muttered under his breath.

Kaiba nodded. "I'd be worried if you _did _want to go back."

Atem leaned on Kaiba and the two of them slowly made their way into the hallway. Mokuba had been waiting for them and raised an eyebrow.

"Um…big brother? What's wrong?" he asked concernedly.

Seto frowned at Atem. "This tough guy got himself beat up in jail last night."

Mokuba's eyes widened when Seto said the word jail. "Jail? What were you doing in jail, Atem?"

Atem looked down at the ground. "The officers mistook me for Yugi, Mokuba."

The raven haired boy frowned. "Yugi? Why would the police be looking for him?"

Kaiba elbowed Atem in the stomach and smiled at his brother. "Drunk driving," he muttered.

Mokuba's frown deepened, but he said no more. He retreated to his own room while Kaiba escorted Atem to the main floor kitchen.

"You haven't told Mokuba what is going on?" Atem questioned curiously as he sat down.

Kaiba shook his head. "I'd rather not worry him with it. Besides, the less he knows, the better. I just hope that if we can't get Yugi under control, Mokuba doesn't become a target."

Atem slumped in his seat. "He's not Yugi anymore, Kaiba. I accidentally banished his good side to the Shadow Realm…Yami is all that's left."

Kaiba shrugged. "Whatever you say, this isn't exactly my area of expertise."

"Mr. Kaiba, you have two guests here to see you," Roland called from the entryway.

Seto sighed. "Alright, send them in."

Marik and Ishizu Ishtar entered the kitchen, earning an expected groan out of Seto.

"You two! Why are you here? It's too early for you to be telling us about your visions of doom, can we at least have breakfast first? Roland, please escort-"

"No, Kaiba. Let them speak," Atem commanded.

Though Kaiba wasn't normally one to follow someone else's orders, he listened to Atem that one time. The Ishtars walked further into the kitchen and handed Atem several things: a flier, a card, and a necklace.

Atem looked through the items and then back up to Kaiba. He held out the card first. "It's Kuriboh, Kaiba. One of Yugi's favorite cards…though I suppose it wouldn't be one of Yami's."

Atem gritted his teeth as he examined the necklace. "This is Téa's. She was wearing it last night, I saw it." He clenched his fist around the necklace and squeezed it so tight that the chain nearly cut into his hand. "He has her. Yami has Téa."

Kaiba glared at the necklace angrily. "But where? They could be anywhere in Domino!"

Marik shook his head and pointed at the flier in Atem's hand. "I think Yami wants Atem to find him."

Kaiba blinked at him. "What makes you say that?"

Atem answered him instead. "Because of this," Atem whispered hoarsely. He held up the flier, one that Kaiba had seen many times throughout the city and even in his own office…

"Yami took Téa to Kaiba Land."

* * *

**A/N: **I'm so so so so sorry that this is so so so so late! I honestly couldn't think of how to write this chapter, and I've been very busy lately. I had the first part between Téa and Yami written like, right away. I knew how I wanted that to go, but after that all I could think of was the part where Atem is too sore to move in his bed while Kaiba laughs. That was all I could think of, and tonight everything just came to me. I guess that's good, right?

Just in case no one is familiar with Bruce Banner, he's the Hulk. Just thought I'd say that since Mr. Chase uses him in a line.

Hopefully I'll update sooner next time, I'm guessing I will. There's still one major detail I need to figure out, but after that I know pretty much exactly how everything is going to go from now on, which will make it easier to write.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Stay tuned, I seriously will update sooner next time.

**P.S. **My next two big projects are my stories called _Duat _and _The Curse of the Thief King_. If you like my writing, I suggest reading those…I have big plans for them. I feel kinda lame promoting my other stories in my most popular one, but I have a lot planned for those stories and I want others to read them. Anyway, see you guys later!


	19. Chapter 18

**A/N: **Holy crap! No, you're not seeing things…I actually wrote a new chapter for this! Trust me, I haven't given up on this story, I've just had the worst case of writer's block ever! In fact, the strangest thing pulled me out of it and gave me the idea for the second half of this chapter. I've had the first half written for a LONG time. So, guess what cured my writer's block? A remix of If U Seek Amy by Britney Spears. Yeah…I know. Weird!

I know exactly how I want to end this little baby, and we're getting there! I have one huge obstacle left, and then everything will be smooth sailing. If any of you amazing readers want to help me with this obstacle…message me. I need help, haha, and I would love it if you could give me a hand. So, without further ado, here is chapter eighteen! Finally!

* * *

**Chapter Eighteen**

Atem leaned his back against the counter in Seto's kitchen and stared at the ground. He could vaguely hear Kaiba and the Ishtar siblings arguing, but he wasn't paying attention to what they were saying. His world had collapsed around him, and he no longer had tears to cry. He felt numbed. The woman he cared for immensely was in the hands of his crazed soul mate, and he could only think of one solution.

_Kill him._

He wanted nothing more than to run away. He wished he could leave everything behind and flee instead of having to deal with the pain and loss thrust upon him. Hell, he was even tempted to give up on life itself in order to return to the Afterlife. It had seemed so simple there, nothing could hurt him or the ones he loved. He had missed Yugi and his other friends dearly while he had been one with Osiris, but part of him yearned for the tranquility of death.

No, he had a job to do. Suicide was not an option. He would save Téa and the others, no matter what it took.

_Kill him._

Atem bit his lower lip. If it came down to it, would he be able to kill Yugi? Did he actually have it in him? Unfortunately, he had no other choice. It was the crazed, unfamiliar Yami or the friends he loved and knew. It was no contest, no matter how much Atem wanted to deny it. He wanted Yugi to stay alive, even if it meant keeping Yami alive…but not at the cost of his friends. His friends were all he had left in the world. His other half was gone.

"…Atem?"

Atem blinked and glanced up at Seto. The young CEO stared at him with cold, hard blue eyes, but he wasn't fooled. Kaiba cared more than he wanted to show. When he was scared, he often tried to hide his emotions. Atem didn't blame him for being scared. Yami was a lunatic. He had kidnapped Téa, and if Atem failed to stop him and save her, who would be next?

"Pharaoh, you know what you have to do," Marik whispered sadly.

Suddenly the room was ice cold.

He knew what he had to do, but he still wished there was another way. He still wanted to run away, he would still rather die than do what had to be done.

_Kill him._

Atem nodded slowly, earning relieved sighs from the others in the room. The last thing they needed was another bout of catatonia.

He pushed off from the counter and looked to Seto once more. "Is there any way to narrow down the search? Kaiba Land is a large park. He could be anywhere."

Seto frowned. "I doubt he has his Duel Disk, but I can run a search just in case."

Ishizu nodded dejectedly. "Yes, I'm sure he doesn't plan on playing Duel Monsters…I believe he wishes to rid the world of you…permanently."

Atem chuckled emptily. "So he's leading me to my death. Isn't that lovely?"

Ishizu looked away. "That's what happened to Marik. He tried to dispose of Odion many times, remember?"

Marik frowned at the memory. "Yes…Ishizu is right. Now that Joey and Tristan are gone, all he needs to do to cut all ties to his old life is to remove you and Téa from the face of the earth."

Atem snorted and glared at the flier now lying on the counter beside him. "He'll try."

Seto eyed him curiously. "Well, that's an abrupt change in attitude."

Atem almost smiled. "No use grieving over what's done. I can't get Yugi back, end of story. All I can do now is save the rest of my friends, and I intend to do just that."

Seto sighed and looked down at the ground. "But…are you certain you would be able to…kill Yugi?"

Atem blinked at him. He still wasn't sure that he had it in him. "I guess there's only one way to find out."

Seto pressed his lips together in a thin line and nodded grimly. "Let's go, then."

The two of them headed toward the door, but Marik caught Atem's arm.

"Pharaoh, we can't just sit around and do nothing! There must be something we can do!" Ishizu cried out before her brother could.

Atem frowned. "If I don't survive this, someone else will have to free those that are trapped inside the Puzzle…find a way to do that." He shrugged off Marik's arm and began to walk again. He paused and glanced at the Ishtar siblings over his shoulder. "Also, please stay out of trouble."

Marik snickered and Ishizu elbowed him as they watched Seto and Atem leave. Ishizu sighed. "I pray to the gods that the pharaoh comes back in one piece."

Seto heard her plea just as he closed the door behind him. He looked over at Atem, who was staring at the bench where they had both last seen Téa. Seto placed a hand on Atem's shoulder and squeezed it reassuringly before heading toward his car. He suddenly felt a massive weight on his shoulders that he had never actually felt for anyone besides Mokuba. He was worried. He was genuinely concerned about Atem's safety. Just the thought of Atem _not _making it out of Kaiba Land alive made a large lump form in his throat and tears threatened to fall. Seto quickly shook his head to snap out of it as he sat down in the driver's seat.

He opened the glove compartment and pulled out an object that he had never used before. It was a top of the line pistol, one that had probably cost quite a bit of money. That didn't matter to Seto of course, what mattered is that the gun could ensure Atem's safety…

"Why do you have that?"

Seto started slightly, glancing up at Atem in surprise. "I…Roland gave this to me for protection…for emergencies." Seto frowned. Expressing his concern in words was a lot harder for him than he thought. Perhaps Kate had been right about him. Perhaps _everyone _was right about him. "Atem, this is an emergency. I don't want you to…" he bit his lower lip. "Look, my personal assistant is counting on you. I can't risk you dying with something like that on the line."

Seto fought hard not to wince. Why was expressing his feelings so damn difficult?

Atem beamed at him. He had gotten the hidden message.

"Thanks for your concern, Kaiba. It means a lot, I assure you, but…I'd rather not use a gun on my partner."

Seto nodded. "I knew you were going to say something like that. I hope you don't mind if I hold onto it though. If it comes down to it, I will not hesitate, Atem."

Atem looked unsure, but he nodded anyway. "Be my guest."

Atem finally sat down in the passenger seat of the vehicle. They drove off in silence, but both of them had smiles on their faces. In that moment they were just happy to be friends, and together they would face what awaited them in the darkest corners of Kaiba Land…

* * *

Atem walked toward the park without fear. He had more things to worry about besides his own personal safety. Kaiba, however, wasn't so confident. Clenched tightly in his hand was the pistol that Roland had given him. He was constantly pointing it in different directions, his eyes darting around erratically as if he had been thrust into a James Bond movie. Atem chuckled throatily and continued to walk.

If there was one good thing that had come out of everything he had been through, it was his newfound friendship with Seto Kaiba.

If anyone had asked Atem just a few years ago if he believed that Kaiba would admit to being his friend, he would've laughed in their face and bet his soul that he would never. But it had happened after all. The great pharaoh had been wrong.

The gates to the park were open. Atem sighed; knowing that somewhere within, his damaged partner awaited his arrival. Atem took a deep breath and picked up the pace before he could lose his nerve. Kaiba continued at his normal speed, his ever so vigilant eyes glued to Atem's back. A strange feeling in the pit of his stomach told him that something was coming…something bad.

Atem hesitated, staring deep into the park for any sign of where Yami might have gone. Seeing nothing, the former pharaoh pressed on, finally passing through the gates. Just over the threshold into the park, Atem gazed around him, taking in every sight. There had to be some sort of clue, Yami _wanted _to be found…

Before Seto could enter the park, all of the gates swung closed. He jumped back in surprise, and Atem whirled around just in time to see two colossal figures land right in front of the stunned CEO. Atem's jaw dropped as he instantly recognized the stone beasts: two Blue-Eyes White Dragons.

Seto stared at the living statues in awe. They had been inside the park, 'guarding' the entrance to his favorite ride, properly named "White Lightning." The ride had been created to honor his companionship with the Blue-Eyes, and yet, they seemed to be turning against him.

"Kaiba!" Atem cried out in alarm. He raced back to the gates and pulled on the wrought iron fencing. They wouldn't budge an inch.

Seto's eyes were wide with shock and terror, but he managed to call out to Atem. "Go on! Obviously Yugi doesn't want me in this fight! I'll be fine!"

Atem frowned, his stomach twisting itself into knots. He had never felt so protective of Seto. Since the beginning, he had considered Seto to be a friend, but now…now he seemed to be even more important. Atem hesitated, his hands tightening around the black iron gate.

"I said go!" Seto yelled in frustration, the fear vanishing from his face only to be replaced by anger.

Atem nodded curtly and ran in the opposite direction. He wanted to distance himself from Seto's situation to get rid of the distraction, only to realize that he might be missing a clue in the process. He slowed down to a stop and caught his breath.

Kaiba Land was a ghost town, and as such, it was unbelievably creepy. Atem ground his teeth together and began to walk forward, scanning the area around him for any sort of indication as to where Yami might be. The wind tossed his hair around and caused goosebumps to form on his skin. Atem shivered.

A creaking noise came from his left, startling him. He jumped, his heart rate picking up speed as he quickly turned to face the source of the noise. In front of him was an open door that was swinging in the breeze. Within the building he saw a faint light, and he knew that it had to be a clue. Mounted above the doorway was a massive sign that read "Dragon-Go-Round." Atem's mouth twitched at the ends. Part of him wanted to smile, but the other part was beginning to feel afraid.

He cautiously stepped into the building and walked down a dark, narrow hallway. He stepped over the velvet rope blocking the way and continued until he found the main chamber of the building. He stared at the ride in front of him curiously, but the atmosphere kept the hair on the back of his neck standing on end.

Fluorescent lights cast an eerie, greenish tint onto the mostly dark room below. Sitting in the center of the chamber was a massive merry-go-round featuring the different dragons from the Duel Monsters card game. Atem recognized a few, such as the Blue-Eyes, Red-Eyes, and Curse of Dragon. Atem frowned at the dark, motionless, creepy merry-go-round as he approached it. He stepped onto the platform and walked up to the Red-Eyes Black Dragon. He stroked the dragon's snout fondly, thinking of the strong friendship he shared with Joey, and the strong friendship that Yugi and Joey had once shared. Thinking about it made his eyes sting, and a lump formed in his throat.

Slow, eerie music began to play. It was soft at first, having the strange sound that reminded Atem of a circus. A chill ran up his spine as the volume began to increase. For some reason, the sudden appearance of circus music had frozen him to the spot, and he couldn't move a single muscle.

Suddenly the lights flicked on. The dragons lit up, the entire carousel came to life, increasing the volume of the circus music tenfold. Atem closed his eyes in anticipation. This was it.

The carousel jolted into motion, throwing Atem into the Blue-Eyes behind him. He groaned in pain as he tried to pull himself up, but the carousel jerked again. This time, it didn't stop moving. It began to spin around, causing Atem to slide toward the edge. To save himself from experiencing even more pain, Atem grabbed onto the pole that held a Curse of Dragon in place. He held onto it for dear life as the merry-go-round began to spin around even faster. Atem chanced a fearful glance outside of the ride, only to lock gazes with a menacing pair of blood red eyes. Atem gasped as he instantly recognized his broken best friend.

Yami was leaning against the controls of the carousel, his arms crossed and a crazed smirk on his face. His eyes twinkled with a sickening sense of delight as he watched Atem spin around the room.

Atem's eyes watered as she struggled to keep them open. He felt his fingers beginning to slip off the pole, and once that happened, he would go flying. Could he possibly die at the hands of his psychotic partner? Would a _carousel _really be what ended his life?

The carousel screeched as if in pain. Atem blinked back the tears that had formed, allowing him to see that it was stopping. Atem cried out in surprise as the merry-go-round came to a sudden, complete halt, throwing him off the ride completely. His shoulder slammed into the ground, sending a jolt of pain through his body. He skidded across the floor, rolling as he went. Eventually he gently connected with the wall, bringing his brief venture into flight to a close. He stared blankly ahead, afraid to move anything. Everything ached.

Black, studded boots came into view. Atem didn't even bother to move out of the way. Yami had him right where he wanted him. Atem was beaten and worn out, he didn't stand a chance.

Yami knelt down before Atem, the Millennium Puzzle hanging just in the view of its former owner. Yami gently grasped Atem's shoulders and hoisted him up. He leaned Atem's back over his knee and smiled down at him.

"Did you miss me?"

Atem swallowed hard and licked at his dry lips. He tasted something metallic and assumed that he had cut himself during his fall. He stared into the blood red eyes of his soon-to-be murderer and said nothing. There was nothing left to say. He didn't have it in him to fight anymore.

He couldn't do it alone.

Yami tilted his head to the side and pouted. "I'm disappointed in you, pharaoh. No last words? No more miraculous victories up your sleeve?"

Atem looked away, his eyes filling up with tears again. How could he have been so foolish? How could he have so easily fallen into Yami's trap?

Yami shook Atem firmly. "Look at me!" he hissed in irritation.

Atem had no other option but to obey. He found himself drawn into the dangerous glare of his aibou once more.

Yami smirked. A soft chuckle slipped past his toothless smile, and soon erupted into an all out cackle. His laugh echoed throughout the massive chamber, causing Atem to cringe.

Yami dropped Atem, causing the latter to strike his head on the ground once more. Atem groaned and awaited the inevitable. Surprisingly, however, death didn't come.

"Stand up, Atem! Face me, and we'll end this!"

Atem frowned but did as he was told. He grimaced as he did so, every limb in his body aching from the carousel incident. He glared up at Yami, the hopelessness and fear draining from his face. "Why are you doing this?" he asked, bewildered. What he wanted to know was: why hadn't Yami already killed him?

Yami seemed to understand. "I want this to happen honorably. I want to show you which one of us is superior. I want to show you that I don't need you anymore. You're an insignificant little speed bump that is in my way, Atem. This ends now."

Atem raised an eyebrow. "You don't need me anymore? Who are you trying to convince, aibou? Me…or yourself?"

Yami gritted his teeth. "Your aibou is gone."

Atem smirked. "Prove it."

Yami grinned. "Téa is somewhere in this park. Her life depends on you, pharaoh."

Atem sneered at him. "Where is she? Answer me!"

Yami chuckled again. "All in good time…all in good time. She's perfectly safe, I assure you…for now. That all depends on you really."

Atem eyed him warily. "Explain it to me."

Yami placed one hand on the Puzzle, and his smirk widened. "We play a game with an ultimate wager. Once we begin, there's no turning back. We will be bound to fulfill the terms, or suffer a horrifying consequence." He laughed, and it was an insane sound.

Atem nodded in acceptance. For some reason he wasn't surprised.

"Yami no Game," Atem whispered coldly.

Yami nodded in response. "Only this time, the stakes are not in your favor, pharaoh."

Atem frowned. "I don't understand."

Yami grinned. "You see, I have Téa's room rigged to explode. You will be playing by my rules, and you will agree to the terms I set for this little game."

Atem didn't like the sound of that.

"If I win, Téa dies."

Atem stared at him with wide eyes, his heart pounding nervously in his chest. "And…if I…?"

Yami's eyes seemed to glow…as did the Puzzle. He looked as if he was trying not to laugh at his own joke.

"Atem, if you win…_you_ die."

* * *

**A/N: **I know there were some strong feelings between Atem and Kaiba in this chapter…but it's NOT prideshipping, haha! They've just become really close after everything they've been through. They're more like family now, which I think is funny since in ancient Egypt, Seto's incarnation back then was Atem's cousin :). I guess you could see it as that ancient bond finally showing itself in present day. Reviews are appreciated! Remember, if you think you might be able to help me at all, send me a message! Any help would be adored.


	20. Chapter 19

**A/N: **Faster update! I'm proud of this chapter; I just hope it's as exciting for you to read as it was for me to write. I'd like to thank SeekerOfAncientLegend and PurpleWildcat2010 for helping me get over my writer's block! I'm pretty sure things will be much easier to write from here on out. I have everything mapped out to the end now, and I'm really excited for you to see how this story turns out! I hope you enjoy the first chapter of the climactic shadow game between Yami and Atem :). Reviews are very much appreciated!

* * *

**Chapter Nineteen**

Atem laughed out loud. He shook his head disbelievingly at Yami while the latter raised an amused eyebrow at his reaction.

"You must truly hate me."

Yami frowned. He pressed his lips together in a thin, grim line as he mulled over Atem's accusation. After a moment of silence, Yami shook his head slowly.

"Not everything is about you," he whispered softly, unable to meet Atem's eyes.

Atem tilted his head to the side and watched Yami carefully. "Then what is this about, Yami? What do you expect to achieve from all of this?"

Yami's eyes met Atem's. Blood red stared into violet, and for one second, Atem understood exactly what he was looking at: a broken man far beyond repair. Yami was the manifestation of the sadness and hatred that had taken root in Yugi's heart after Atem had left.

"It's about finally being at peace."

In that moment, Atem pitied Yami. Yami had festered in the corner of Yugi's mind for so long that he knew nothing besides hurt and anger. He would never know peace, no matter how much he craved it. Of course, it was common knowledge that people desired what they couldn't have…

Yami blinked, breaking both of them out of their strange stupor. Yami eyed Atem warily and then smirked. Atem sighed. The brief moment they had shared was over.

Yami offered his hand to Atem. "Take my hand, Pharaoh. Let it begin…and then let it end."

Atem hesitated for a moment. He searched Yami's eyes, hoping to salvage what was still vulnerable in his otherwise cold, murderous heart. However, Yami had rebuilt his walls. There was no getting through to him anymore, in fact, Atem knew that he was wrong to place any hope whatsoever in the idea. Yami was dead set on revenge, on achieving that impossible sense of peace. Seeing no other option, Atem accepted his hand.

The Millennium Puzzle began to glow. Atem wasn't sure what Yami planned to do, and that lack of knowledge scared him.

Atem pulled Yami into him so that he could whisper in his ear. Yami gasped in surprise at the sudden embrace, but he didn't pull away. Atem took a deep, shaky breath.

"I'm sorry."

Yami frowned again. He felt that strange feeling that he had when Téa had hugged him…he felt the slightest tug on his heart strings, pleading with him to just go of the past. He ignored it once more, however, and sighed.

"Once we reach our destination, your goal will be to escape before I find you. I'm allowed to throw whatever obstacles at you that I please, just as you can do to me...if you can. I do not know where the exit is, and neither will you. If I do find you, well…it's game over for you…and for Téa."

Atem nodded curtly, beginning to feel himself being pulled from his own body by an unknown force. "And if I do escape, you must set her free…and then kill me."

Yami's jaw tightened. His heart lurched, but he pushed the feeling aside. "I never agreed to letting her go."

Atem's jaw dropped in horror as he realized this fatal flaw. Once he had won what would Yami do with her? Would he kill her or something worse?

He didn't get the chance to think it over anymore. Everything went black as he let go completely.

* * *

"So, how was Egypt? Nice weather?"

Joey snorted. "I suppose if you consider dry, hot weather with a hint of chaos nice, you would've loved it."

Tristan laughed. "Yeah, that was really intense. Almost as horrible as the whole Orichalcos mess."

Yugi flinched. "I think it'd be best if we didn't mention that again."

Kate frowned. "I want to know…"

Mr. Chase shook his head. "Don't be nosy, Kathryn. It was nice of them to tell you most of the story in the first place."

Yugi stopped and glanced up at her. She tilted her head to the side questioningly and waited. "How about this: when we get out of here, I'll tell you anything you want to know."

Kate held out her hand. "Deal!"

Yugi smiled and shook her hand in agreement. He felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end, and the smile vanished as quickly as it had come. There was something evil lurking within the Puzzle, he could feel it.

A shiver ran up his spine as the chamber suddenly became ice cold. His hand tightened around Kate's, causing the latter to wince in pain. She tugged her hand, trying to show Yugi that he should let go. He wasn't all there, however. He stared blankly ahead, into Kate's blue eyes. He heard her talking to him, but he couldn't discern the words. He saw something reflected in her worried eyes…something dark and foreboding.

A sharp pain shot through Yugi's body and he released Kate's hand. He doubled over, cradling his stomach protectively. His eyes darted to each of his friends fearfully, trying to warn them without using words. They just stared at him in confusion.

"Yuge, buddy, what's wrong? Use your words!" Joey cried out nervously. He stepped forward and grasped Yugi's shoulders, but another wave of pain hit him, causing him to stumble backward. The light surrounding him flickered twice and then dimmed dramatically.

Yugi shook his head in disbelief. He could feel it all around him…the Shadows. He could feel the evil, and he knew exactly what was going on. He didn't need anyone to tell him. He had had too much experience with such horrible events.

His eyes met Joey's. He slowly backed away from the group. "It's about to begin. The Yami no Game...and this time, nobody can win. No matter what, tragedy will strike." His arms tightened around his stomach. "I can feel it in the air, I can smell it, I feel like I'm drowning in it…"

Joey reached out to him again, but Yugi jumped away from his touch. "What, Yuge? You're scarin' me, pal! What are you drownin' in?"

Yugi's breathing became shallow, but his eyes never wavered from Joey's.

"Death. Shadow. Darkness."

Yugi's light flickered once more, and then went out completely. The chamber was completely dark, and there wasn't a single sound except for the shaky, labored breaths that Yugi continued to take in.

Suddenly his breathing stopped. There was a dreadful moment of dead silence…

And then Yugi let out a scream that could shatter diamonds.

* * *

Atem opened his eyes. He looked around himself, trying to discern where Yami had taken him. All he could see, however, was darkness…darkness and fog.

Atem frowned and took a step forward. He glanced down at the floor, noticing that it was made out of brown bricks. He tapped it with the toe of his shoe as if expecting something to happen. When nothing did, he took another step forward.

There was a distant scream, and something about the voice chilled Atem to the bone. He recognized it, but who did it belong to?

A hoarse laugh broke out to his left, causing him to jump in surprise. His heart began to hammer in his ears as he realized the gravity of his situation: he was alone, in the dark, trying to find an exit…and Yami had control of the Shadows.

"_It's been a while."_

It was a whisper in his mind. Atem felt oddly comforted by the voice, yet wary at the same time.

"_Let me out."_

Atem stumbled around in the dark, blindly searching for the voice.

"_I can help you win. You cannot do this without me."_

The hoarse laugh was heard again, only this time it was louder and more intense. Atem froze as he felt something brush against his ankle. Something was there with him. Not someone, some_thing_.

He closed his eyes and gritted his teeth. Everything seemed hopeless. He was running blind, and Yami had complete control over the situation. He was going to let Téa down…he was going to let everyone down.

The thing brushing against his leg suddenly ensnared his leg. Atem gasped in horror as he felt himself being pulled down and dragged across the floor. He pulled his foot in desperation, his faith diminishing with every passing second. He began to feel as if the Yami no Game was a lost cause, he considered giving up…

Just as the thought of giving up flashed through his mind, a thunderous roar erupted from the thing that had captured him. The claw that held him tightened painfully around his ankle, causing him to cry out in pain.

Sudden realization flooded through him. Each time negative thoughts or emotions flowed through him, the creature became more threatening. What happened if he only thought positively? What if the only emotions he felt were a light in the dark?

Atem smiled and ceased to struggle. As he continued to be dragged through the darkness, he thought of his friends.

The creature came to an abrupt halt. It roared in frustration, as if suddenly, because of Atem's thoughts, he could no longer have his supper.

Atem thought of the kiss he had shared with Téa just the night before. He thought of her proclamation of love, and how he had known that it wasn't one sided.

Atem felt himself being lifted into the air and thrown. He winced in pain as he crashed into a wall and fell to the floor. He heard the creature making its way toward him, its pounding footsteps echoing in his ears. He refused to give in to fear, however. He still had one weapon left.

He thought of Yugi. He thought of every happy memory they had shared, he thought of each duel they had won together, and he thought of how much he loved his partner. No one mattered to him more than Yugi. Yugi was his light, his purpose for living. Yugi was his world.

Suddenly, there was light. It was a blinding, white light that Atem couldn't see through. He could, however, hear the sickening hiss and furious growl of the creature as it met its much deserved demise. The light faded ever so slightly, giving Atem a chance to look at the creature: it was the Red-Eyes Black Dragon.

Atem's shoulders slumped over sadly at the sight of the dying dragon. It was a symbol of his and Joey's friendship, the creature meant a lot to the both of them. Yet there it was, slowly fading to nothing, a creature of the shadows, used by Yami to distract him.

The light suddenly dimmed dramatically, causing Atem to push the negative thoughts from his mind. He thought of his newfound friendship with Kaiba, and the light intensified once more. He turned around and came face to face with a door. Normally he wouldn't have given it a second thought, but there was something special about it. He could sense something inside, something powerful.

"_With each passing second he grows nearer…release me, and I can save you…"_

Atem swallowed hard. Every fiber of his being longed to enter the room, but his mind was still unsure. He closed his eyes and grasped the door handle. He took a deep breath and slowly let it out before pushing the door open.

He opened his eyes and stared at the strange room. Each wall was covered in mirrors. Even the floor and ceiling were made out of reflective glass. He stepped in timidly, staring at himself in the many mirrors surrounding him. He turned to face the very back of the room, and realized that one mirror was slightly different from the others.

It was wider, and it had a frame. The others did not. The frame was intricately designed; beautiful iron swirls bordered the glass. Atem stepped in front of it and gazed deeply into his own eyes…until he realized that he was no longer seeing his reflection.

It was Yugi.

Atem raised a hand to the glass, running his forefinger over Yugi's cheek. Yugi pressed his hand to his side of the glass, and Atem placed his free hand over it. Yugi and Yami stared into each other's eyes sadly.

There was a bang, and Atem removed his hands to turn around. The door had closed on its own.

He turned back around and saw Yugi banging against the glass, crying, begging to be let out. Atem ran to him, looking around for some way to help him. He knew it was hopeless before he even reached him. His light dimmed again.

He turned around to look at the other mirrors, only to find that they weren't empty anymore. In one, Téa sat in a chair, blindfolded, with a bomb strapped to her legs. His light began to fade once more.

He whipped around to look at the other sets of mirrors. Kaiba sat on the ground, holding a lifeless Mokuba, no expression on his face… he himself stood triumphantly, the Orichalcos symbol on his forehead…he himself walked through the doors and into the Afterlife, leaving a broken, depressed Yugi behind to steal the Millennium Puzzle…Yugi screaming in torment in the Shadow Realm…Solomon Mutou walking into Yugi's room, only to find his bed empty...Yami finishing what he had started with all of the helpless, soulless victims he had left in his wake…

His light went out.

Atem collapsed to the floor in the complete darkness with nothing but the sound of his own sobs echoing throughout the room. He had seen some of his worst fears and most hated memories in those mirrors, and they had sucked the light out of him once more. He felt just as hopeless as before, ready to give up completely.

"_Have faith you stubborn fool, this is no time for blubbering. If you don't do something, he will find you. There is much more at stake here than the lives of your pathetic little band of friends."_

It wasn't a whisper anymore. He heard the voice, and he recognized it instantly.

The strange, different yet beautiful mirror began to glow ever so slightly. It was an eerie blue light, but Atem could see once again. He stood up and wiped the tears from his face as he gazed into the mirror, his eyes locking with two brown irises.

"_Release me, Pharaoh." _Bakura smirked.

Atem frowned and stared at his nemesis. After seeing Bakura in his catatonic visions and hearing his voice in jail, he didn't exactly believe what he was seeing.

Bakura pouted and tilted his head to the side. _"What is it, Pharaoh? Don't you trust me?" _The same hoarse laughter from before rang throughout the room as Bakura laughed at his own joke. _"Sorry, I thought it was funny."_

Atem shook his head slowly. "I know that this is just my imagination…or perhaps, I have already lost my mind."

Bakura rolled his eyes. _"Don't give yourself too much credit, you don't even know the meaning of insane."_

Atem sneered at him. "You helped me when I was catatonic, you _tried _to help me when I was on the brink of giving up in my jail cell…why? Why are you doing all of this?"

Bakura snorted. _"Do you really think I would do such a thing for you? That was all your imagination…though why you would imagine _my _voice is beyond me."_

Atem laughed, and a small portion of his light returned. "No, if you really are you, then you had to have done those things for me. Trust me, you are the last person I would have thought of during a crisis." He raised an eyebrow. "Of course, that still begs the question…why? What was in it for you?"

Bakura narrowed his eyes. _"As much as I despise you, Pharaoh, there is someone else that I despise even more."_

Atem frowned. "I find that hard to believe."

Bakura's smirk returned. _"Like I said once before, don't give yourself too much credit." _His expression darkened. _"Your father might've been responsible for the slaughter of my people, but that wasn't your fault. Don't get me wrong, I still loathe you, but there is one person…no, not person, thing…that betrayed me."_

Atem sighed in realization, a cold chill coming over him. "Zorc."

Bakura nodded solemnly. _"You couldn't destroy him altogether, it's just not possible. The only thing you could do was imprison him in the Shadow Realm, which is coincidentally where he sent me." _He glared out into the room, but not at Atem in particular. _"He has taken quite a bit of interest in Yugi. He has noticed how much Shadow magic the boy has been using, and quite frankly, he is impressed with Yugi's prowess." _Bakura's gaze rested on Atem once more. _"Long story short, Zorc plans to return…and he sees Yugi as the perfect vessel."_

Atem's upper lip twitched and his blood boiled as rage burned in his heart. He stared back at Bakura with newfound determination. There was more at stake than the lives of his friends, Bakura was right. The entire world was at stake.

"What is it you want me to do?"

Bakura crossed his arms. _"Well, you could reach in here and pull me out, that would be a good start."_

Atem rolled his eyes. "How could that possibly work?"

Bakura's eye twitched. _"Pharaoh, you dunce, you still have Shadow magic left in you! How do you think you stopped Yami from taking your soul?"_

Atem blinked. "How did you know about that?"

Bakura stomped his foot impatiently. _"As do I, you insufferable idiot! Get me out of here before I remove your head from the rest of your body with the snap of my fingers!"_

Atem stepped forward and timidly touched the glass with his finger. It still felt like glass. He frowned, but he knew that there was no other way. He was unstable, if he was going to defeat Yami, he would need some help.

He surged his arms through the glass and gasped in surprise. His hands and gone straight through, feeling as if he had merely dipped them in water. Bakura grabbed his right hand, and Atem grabbed Bakura's arm with his left. He pulled hard, leaning on all of his weight, until Bakura tumbled through the strange mirror, landing on top of the former pharaoh.

Atem exhaled slowly as he pushed Bakura off of him. The crazed thief cackled triumphantly, not even caring about Atem's lack of manners. He turned to look at Atem and flashed him a grin.

"Well then…now that _that's _over with, I suppose we should get going."

Atem stared at him breathlessly. Pulling Bakura through the mirror from another dimension had really taken its toll on his endurance. His jaw tightened as he realized how pathetic it was that he had no other choice but to trust his oldest enemy. "Bakura, where _are _we?"

Bakura frowned. "I thought you would've figured that out by now." When Atem shook his head, Bakura raised an eyebrow. "Pharaoh, we're inside the Millennium Puzzle."

* * *

Yami shivered. Something had happened…something bad. He could feel the Shadows stir around him.

He stared at the group of people huddled together nearby. They were lost and afraid. Without the Light, they would not be able to find their way.

Yami studied them. He knew that the one he sought was not among them, but that mattered little. The spark was a part of him, and he was a part of it. They couldn't run away, they couldn't escape one another. It all came down to the fact that they were still very much the same person.

Yami was willing to admit that now. Before he had tried to deny it, hoping that by doing so his vulnerability would fade. That, however, was not the case. He realized it when Téa had thrown her arms around him.

He ground his teeth together in frustration. _Téa…_he thought icily, _how could she do this to me? To Yugi?_

He took a deep breath in order to calm himself. _This is no time to let anger distract me…I have one goal, and nothing will stand in my way…especially Téa._

Yami smirked as he watched Joey and Tristan cling to one another. He would make good use of them, but it wasn't quite the right time. He had something better in mind, a way to break down Atem's morale and discover what he had unearthed at the same time. The dragon had not been enough.

Yami sat down in the darkness and closed his eyes. He concentrated very hard on finding what he desired; using the spiritual and mental link they both wished wasn't there. When he opened his eyes again, he wasn't seeing through his own.

Yugi giggled gleefully and grinned. It was time to reunite with his partner.

* * *

**A/N: **Okay, so it has been recently brought to my attention that after Atem got his memories back, the Puzzle no longer looked like a maze. But what would it have looked like? Would it have been empty? I think not, and I have come up with my own little theory. It may not be correct, but it's what I'm using for this story. Maybe a few things will make more sense.

The Puzzle is meant to belong to the Pharaoh of Egypt, correct? Well, I believe that the inside of the Puzzle should reflect the heart of its owner, a test to see how just a ruler they are I suppose. Since Yami is evil, cruel and sadistic, the inside of the Puzzle is dark and foggy. As for the maze and many doors? The heart of a person is a very complex thing, metaphorically of course. I'm not talking about the literal organ that beats within each one of us, which I'm sure you figured out on your own haha.

Take the mirror room for example. Everyone has fears that dishearten them. When Atem stepped into that room, he saw his own fears. He had stepped into the one room where no one could hide, where the heart is most honest with itself. One of Yami's greatest fears will be revealed soon enough...one that he hasn't even admitted to himself.

I hope that clears some things up. If you have any questions, message me!


	21. Chapter 20

**A/N: **So…I have been gone for a while. Sorry. I've had a lot going on. I'm back now, and I'm determined to finish this story!

This update is shorter than ones I've done in the past. Sorry about that, but I'm trying to get back into the swing of things.

I hope you enjoy it! Reviews would be great! Sorry if this chapter is disappointing after a 6-7 month hiatus, haha.

* * *

**Chapter Twenty**

Seto groaned in pain as his back slammed against the concrete floor. The Blue-Eyes White Dragon statue before him roared loudly as if it were laughing at him. Seto snarled back at the creature, but the action looked and sounded as pathetic as it felt.

Seto didn't understand. How did Yugi bring the statue to life, and how the hell was he supposed to get around it?

Seto rolled away as the Blue-Eyes tried to crush him with its foot.

"Stop it right now! Cease your attack! Why won't you listen to me?"

The sound of screeching tires grabbed the attention of both Seto and the dragon. Mokuba jumped out of the car, earning a frustrated sigh from Seto. When Marik and Ishizu followed him, however, he was absolutely livid.

"What are all of you doing here? I thought I told you to stay at the house, Mokuba!"

Mokuba crossed his arms and frowned. "In case you don't remember, I'm old enough to make my own decisions now."

Seto rolled his eyes. "Then you've made a bad one, little brother. It's dangerous here, I'm not sure what this thing will do if you come any closer!"

Mokuba's eyes flew to the dragon, his jaw dropping open. "Oh…right."

Seto laughed sardonically at his brother's arrogance. "Ishtar! Since you're here, would you mind telling me how to get rid of this thing?"

Ishizu cleared her throat. "I'm not sure. It's obviously being controlled by the Shadows…by Yugi. But perhaps a shred of the true Blue-Eyes White Dragon lies within that statue."

Seto quickly stood up and jumped out of the way as the dragon attempted to swipe its claws at his legs. "And how would that help me?"

Marik shrugged. "It should be obvious. Your past self had a connection with the Blue-Eyes. If you can somehow remind this statue of that, remind that part of it that is the true Blue-Eyes, maybe it will respond to your commands…"

Mokuba smiled. "And maybe even be able to help you!"

Ishizu smiled with approval and looked at Mokuba. "Indeed."

Seto shook his head. "Whatever, I can't remember anything about that."

Marik sneered. "You're lying."

The dragon shoved Seto into the gate to the amusement park, causing the young CEO to cry out in pain.

"You remember something, Seto, now spit it out!" Marik yelled.

The dragon's claws clamped around Seto's lean body and squeezed, knocking the wind out of him. As he struggled to breathe, he also attempted to talk.

"I…remember a…girl…" he choked out breathlessly.

Ishizu grinned. "Oh yes, I'm sure you do."

Seto shot her a glare. "This is…different."

Mokuba frowned in worry, clenching his fists to keep himself from running to his brother's aid. "That thing is going to kill him, Ishizu! You have to do something!"

Ishizu held out a hand to stop him. "No, wait. Seto is on the verge of remembering something important."

Seto shook his head, pain filled tears running down his cheeks. The dragon roared again.

"That's…that's it…no…no name…"

Marik shook his head. "Think harder!"

Seto let out a scream as he glared angrily at Marik. "I…don't…_remember!_" he yelled furiously, the effect of his anger diminished by his cracked and weak voice.

His gaze traveled to the face of the Blue-Eyes. He stared into the blue sapphire eyes of the statue and could almost see something behind them. He squinted and looked harder, his vision going blurry. He felt like his head was going to explode…

And that was when he saw her.

Blue eyes, long white hair, pale white skin…a rough brown dress…

He knew her instantly. Suddenly, he couldn't figure how he could have possibly forgotten.

"K-Kis…"

Mokuba scrunched his nose. "Kiss? Seto…concentrate…"

Seto mustered up the last of his energy and glared at the statue. "Kisara, forgive me!"

The dragon released him.

Seto crumpled to the floor and gasped desperately for air. He looked up at the dragon warily only to see that it was bowing its head before him, sitting absolutely still.

Mokuba rain to Seto's side and helped him up. "Seto! Are you okay? Can you stand? Are you hurt?"

Seto nodded. "Yeah…"

Mokuba raised an eyebrow. "Which question are you answering?"

Seto stared at the ground, his mind in a different place. "Yes."

* * *

"...21 bottles of beer on the wall, 21 bottles of beer, you take one down, pass it around, 20 bottles of beer on the wall..."

Téa sighed. Her hands were bound and there was a blindfold around her eyes. She had been sitting there for what seemed like an eternity. She found a miniscule amount of comfort from the stupid, repetitive old song she was singing.

"…20 bottles of beer on the wall, 20 bottles of beer…"

She missed Joey and Tristan. They would've joined in if they had been there, making the song much more fun and humorous. Atem would've stared at all of them in confusion and Yugi would've laughed at the aforementioned confusion.

Téa frowned. Even when she had been in Yami's presence she had felt love. That love had been clouded by her anger and hatred for the person who had taken Yugi away, but she still loved him after all of the things he had done.

_Is there something wrong with me?_

Téa laughed. "You take one down, pass it around, 19 bottles of beer on the wall…"

_I love Yugi._

Téa frowned again. "Yes…" she said aloud confusedly.

_I love Atem._

Téa's frown deepened. "Um…yes…"

_Are they just so similar that I don't know which one I love?_

Téa fought back tears. She didn't want to go through that again. She had been so confused by her feelings for years, the entire time that the Pharaoh had been with them as a spirit. She could never understand if she truly loved Yugi or the Pharaoh…and it seemed that two years had made no difference. She was still as confused as ever.

_Oh Yugi…I miss you…_

Téa felt a stray, hot tear streak down her face.

"…19 bottles of beer on the wall, 19 bottles of beer, you take one down, pass it around, 18 bottles of beer on the wall…"

* * *

The floor was cold.

The stone was rough and covered with a thin sheet of sand. It felt as if it was an ancient forgotten tomb in the middle of Egypt itself. The gloom and darkness only added to the eerie atmosphere.

Eyes stared unseeingly into the darkness.

All hope seemed to be lost.

But suddenly, there was light. The light was so bright that it burned the unseeing eyes, blinding them further. But this was a different kind of blindness. There was hope after all.

* * *

Atem stopped dead in his tracks, his breath hitching in his throat.

Bakura scowled and grasped the former Pharaoh's arm. "It's an illusion. Yami is trying to trick you."

Atem shook his head. "No…no Bakura, this is different…"

Bakura tightened his hold on Atem's arm. "Don't do it, Pharaoh. I can see it in your eyes. Don't be a fool."

Atem ignored him and shrugged out of his grasp. He ran forward and fell to his knees onto the blood covered floor.

"Yugi…"

Yugi's eyes were closed tight, but he frowned in response to Atem's voice. He was alive.

"Yugi, Yugi!"

Yugi reluctantly opened his eyes and the pain was evident on his face. The light was stinging his eyes.

"Who did this to you?" Atem asked frantically, reaching a hand out for Yugi's face.

Yugi's hand shot out and caught Atem's wrist, surprising the former Pharaoh.

Yugi's bloodshot eyes bore into Atem's confusedly.

Atem repeated his question: "Who did this to you?"

Yugi's hold tightened on Atem's wrist as an amused smile appeared on his face.

"You did."


	22. Chapter 21

**A/N: **Woo, finally got another one done. Had a bit of writer's block for a while, sorry about that. I like this chapter though, I'm pleased with it. Like I said, I'm determined to get this story done. I must. I hope you like this chapter! Reviews are appreciated.

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-One**

Atem stared blankly at his broken partner. It took a moment for what Yugi had said to really sink in, and once it did, frantic confusion quickly followed.

"I…I…what?"

Yugi chuckled as Atem babbled. "You did this to me."

Atem shook his head vehemently. "I could never hurt you Yugi!"

Yugi laughed out loud, a spark of insanity twinkling in his eyes. His hands flew to his stomach as if his laughter was causing him pain.

Atem sneered at him. "How can you laugh at a time like this?"

Yugi regained his composure and shot him a look filled with malice. "You left me. How can you sit there and honestly say you would never hurt me when you left? You tore a hole in my heart and soul, you cut me deeper than anyone else…I bleed for _you_."

Atem gaped at him. "It was my time. I had been through five thousand years…I deserved to rest in peace."

Yugi looked up at him sadly. "But I loved you."

Atem bit back tears. "I loved you too, but I needed to be my own person, I needed to be outside of the Millennium Puzzle…" Atem looked around and chuckled. "That last part didn't work out so well, so it seems…"

Yugi laughed softly. "Apparently not."

Atem closed his eyes and smiled. "I missed you so much, Yugi…more than words can say."

Yugi slowly lifted himself into a sitting position. Atem opened his eyes and placed one hand on Yugi's cheek. Yugi smiled.

"I missed you too."

A short silence passed between them and was broken by the sound of someone impatiently clearing their throat.

"This is a waste of time."

Atem glared at Bakura over his shoulder. "You don't understand," he snarled to the thief king.

Bakura frowned and crossed his arms. "You're right, I don't understand. But neither do you, pharaoh," he spat. "Your little half pint is draped in shadow. There is something wrong here, but your love for him blinds you to it. This is _exactly _why you need my help."

Atem dropped his hand to his side and laughed. "I know my Yugi. Besides, I've done quite well without your guidance in the past, I'm sure I can succeed just fine without you once again."

Bakura surged forward and grabbed Atem by the arm, abruptly pulling him to his feet. "I am growing quite tired of your arrogance. Have you forgotten how much help I've been this time around? I picked you up when you were on the brink of insanity, I revealed to you just how dangerous Yugi is at this point! Why won't you listen to me?"

Yugi stood up and stepped up to Bakura. He grabbed Bakura's arm and twisted it until he released Atem, a hard expression on his face.

"Who do you think he's going to believe? Me, his best friend and partner, or you, the annoying thief king who dishonored his father and nearly destroyed his kingdom?" Yugi growled, twisting Bakura's arm further.

Bakura smirked, ignoring the pain, and shook his head. "This here should be proof enough that this isn't the Yugi you know and love."

Yugi released Bakura and turned back to Atem, his cold expression replaced with one of soft innocence. "Don't believe one word he says, pharaoh! Why would I lie to you? Why would I turn against you?"

Bakura took a step toward Atem. "He has taken the souls of so many of your friends, Atem, don't fall for this act!"

Atem looked at him. "But that wasn't him, that was _Yami_."

Bakura groaned in exasperation. "They are the exact same person you fool! This 'Yami' is a segment of Yugi's own personality, Yugi's own _soul_. 'Yami' is not a completely different spirit as I was to Ryou or you were to Yugi. This isn't the same, not in the slightest."

Yugi looked worried. "I want him done with just as much as you do!" Yugi held out his hand. "Come with me, pharaoh, we'll find the way out!"

Atem hesitated as he stared at the hand. He glanced back at Bakura, whose expression was absolutely livid, and then back to the hand. He looked up into Yugi's face as if searching for answers.

Yugi gave him a reassuring smile. "It's your move."

Atem blinked, and in the next instant, his hand was clasped in Yugi's. Bakura snarled furiously but Atem and Yugi ignored him.

"Come on! Joey knows where to find the way out!" Yugi cried happily.

Atem glanced at Bakura once more. "Perhaps splitting up would be beneficial."

Bakura laughed. "You're an idiot, pharaoh. Don't come crying to me when this doesn't work out as well as you're imagining in that miniscule brain of yours."

Atem pursed his lips and then sighed. He gave Yugi a smile, and the two of them took off into the darkness.

Bakura shook his head. "This is utterly fantastic," he muttered angrily. He kicked at the air before beginning to walk in the other direction, the way they had come from.

_I figure if Yugi is going that way, the way out is the opposite way, _Bakura thought. _That blasted pharaoh is so blind…_

After what felt like hours, Bakura took a short break. He sighed tiredly. He had become accustomed to the dark after all the time he had spent in the Shadow Realm so seeing in the darkness of the Puzzle wasn't a problem. What _was _a problem, however, was that Yugi was going to win…Zorc was going to win.

Bakura wondered what would happen if Zorc succeeded in possessing Yugi's body. Would he find a way to resurrect his true form? What would become of the world?

He knew the answers to those questions, yet his mind still asked them.

Bakura began to walk again. Soon enough, he heard something up ahead. He picked up his pace a bit and soon realized that the sound was footsteps. Bakura took great care in making his own silent and strained his ears in case the person began to speak. He had an idea of who it might be.

A door creaked open and slowly swung closed. Bakura approached the source of the sound and peeked through the crack of the door into an eerily lit room: the Mirror room where he had made contact with Atem.

Bakura scowled as he instantly recognized the distinctive hairstyle of the man who stood inside.

_I knew it, _Bakura thought angrily. _Yugi was bait, just a distraction. This is it._

* * *

Yami walked toward the framed mirror fearlessly. He smiled at his reflection. If Atem was going to use the power of the Shadows to bring an ally into the game, Yami could do the exact same thing.

Nothing seemed to happen right away, and Yami had a short fuse. He glared at the mirror, willing it to do something with all of his might.

Arms wrapped around the neck of his reflection, sending a wave of panic over Yami until he realized that it was _only _happening to his reflection. He stared at the odd image until the attacker peeked his head out.

It was himself.

Yami frowned. He didn't understand. He was grabbing himself in a chokehold? It didn't make any sense.

Then Yami realized that what he had thought was his reflection originally hadn't been him at all.

It was _him_.

Yami's jaw dropped open as he stared at the image.

He had Atem in a chokehold. Atem's life was in his hands.

Sudden fear and ice cold dread sent shivers down Yami's spine. He instinctively stepped toward the mirror, shaking his head ever so slightly in warning to his mirror image.

"Don't…"

Mirror Yami laughed, though the room was still eerily quiet. He drastically tightened his hold on Atem's neck, whose eyes widened in surprise as he fought to breathe. The former pharaoh's eyes became dull and unfocused, his hands weakly pulled on Mirror Yami's arms in a feeble attempt to postpone the inevitable.

Yami shook his head, his heart beating faster and faster. He ran up to the mirror and pounded his fist against the glass as if wishing to break it and save Atem.

"Stop it! Let him go!"

Mirror Yami smirked and released his victim. Atem collapsed to the floor, his lifeless eyes boring into Yami's terrified ones.

"No!"

Yami slid to his knees as he stared at Atem's body. He ran a hand over the glass that separated them and tried to make sense of what had just happened.

He hated Atem for what he had done to him…to Yugi. Atem had caused him more pain than anything else. Just thinking about it brought anger to the surface again…but then all he had to do was look into those dead eyes again, and the fear and longing would return.

He was weak. No matter how much he hated Atem, he would never be able to kill him. Where there was hate, there was still love…

And that angered Yami more than everything else.

"You don't have to be weak."

Yami blinked. He could've sworn that those words had come from…

"Together we can be strong."

"…Atem?"

Mirror Atem's body seemed to gain new life, but it seemed wrong. His once violet eyes were black. His skin was deathly pale instead of his usual healthy tan. When he smiled, his teeth were razor sharp and demonic…

"I need a vessel, Yugi."

Yami shuddered. "Who are you?"

Not Atem smirked. "I have many names, mortal. I have been called the Prince of Darkness, the Shadow King…" He chuckled darkly. "…Zorc Necrophades."

Yami stared at him, aghast. "You're Zorc."

Zorc tilted his head to the side in vague amusement. "You thought me gone?"

Yami took a moment to soak it all in. Zorc taking on the image of Atem was both ironic and angering…but this was also just what he needed. With the help of an immortal…the King of the Shadow Realm…he would have the strength to do away with Atem. His pathetic fears wouldn't matter. His lingering connection with the pharaoh…and especially _Yugi_…would finally be cut.

Yami breathed in deeply and made his choice. He looked up into the black eyes of his former enemy and smirked.

"Just tell me what I need to do."

* * *

"Where are Joey and the others?" Atem asked casually.

Yugi shrugged. "We got separated. But I'm sure we'll be able to find them! We're connected, you, me, Joey and Tristan."

Atem looked over at him. "And Téa."

Yugi flinched and then pointed up ahead. "There, that door. That's where we need to go next."

Atem frowned. "Are you alright, Yugi?"

Yugi plastered on a smile and looked up at him. "Of course, why do you ask?"

Atem watched him closely. "You completely ignored what I said."

Yugi picked up the pace and turned his gaze on the door ahead. "You said something?"

Atem's frown deepened. "You said that you, me, Joey and Tristan were all connected. You forgot Téa."

Yugi tightened his grip on Atem's hand to the point that it was painful for the former pharaoh. "Oh. Oops," he replied coldly.

Atem felt a wave of unease creep over him but he did his best to ignore it. This was Yugi, the real Yugi, he could feel it in his soul…it had to be Yugi…

Yugi stopped in front of the door and grinned up at Atem. "After you!"

Atem hesitated for a moment. He looked down at the doorknob and sighed. He had to trust his partner. He didn't want to doubt him now, not after everything they had gone through. He was finally with the boy he had protected and loved for so many years.

Atem released Yugi's hand and grasped the doorknob with it. He slowly turned it and pushed it forward. He stepped into the dark room and took a moment to look around before turning to Yugi. Yugi smiled brightly at him and motioned for him to continue onward. Atem did.

The room was completely empty.

Atem turned around again to see Yugi close the door behind him, a murderous gleam in his now blood red eyes.

"Yugi…don't do this…" Atem pleaded.

Yugi sneered at him. "How could you have done this to me?"

Atem stared at him quizzically. "Done what? I haven't done anything to you."

Yugi laughed. "Don't insult me! Deep down you know exactly what I'm talking about." When the confused expression remained on Atem's face, Yugi continued. "Perhaps you need reminding," he snarled venomously.

Yugi took a step towards him. "Were you aware that I…was in love?"

Atem's heart sunk. He looked away. "Yes."

Yugi moved even closer. "With whom?"

Atem swallowed hard. "Téa."

Yugi nodded, his penetrating gaze never leaving Atem's face. "Now you understand."

Atem looked at him. "I never meant to hurt you, Yugi."

Yugi laughed again. "Of course you didn't! Just like you never meant to hurt me when you left!"

Atem grabbed Yugi by the shoulders. "How many times must we have this conversation?" He glared at Yugi. "What has gotten into you?"

Yugi kneed Atem in the stomach, causing the latter to double over. "It didn't take much to lure you out here, did it? You're so gullible! That irritating thief was right and you didn't listen. I am Yugi, Yugi is me, we were never different people, and you just won't learn your lesson that the Yugi you knew is _gone!_"

Before Atem could protest, Yugi's fist crashed into the side of his face, sending him down to the floor.

Yugi stared down at him coldly. "You miss the Afterlife don't you? Things must've been so much simpler there…out of sight, out of mind and all that." He chuckled darkly. "Why don't I send you back there?"

Yugi snapped his fingers and Atem gasped as a sarcophagus draped in shadow appeared behind him. He looked up at Yugi pleadingly but it had no effect over the crazed teen.

Yugi smirked. "Good-bye, mou hitori no boku. I'll send your regards to your friends."

With an effortless lift of his hands, Atem was picked up and thrown into the sarcophagus with surprising force. He yelled in fury and pain, but before he could move a muscle, a lid materialized over the top of the sarcophagus, sealing him inside.

Atem beat against the lid with all of his might but it wouldn't budge. He screamed Yugi's name, but he knew that it was useless.

He faintly heard a door creak open and close. He knew that he was alone, and he had lost. He had lost everything.

* * *

Yami collapsed to the ground as he felt his control over Yugi slipping. He didn't care so much, the small use he had had for the spark was over and done with. He left the spark willingly, as he had much more important matters that he had to tend to.

Yugi sat up on his knees and stared down. As his light slowly returned, memories of what had occurred while Yami had been in control returned to him.

He gasped and wept in horror. He looked up to see Joey, Tristan, Kate and her grandfather all staring at him in surprise. He quickly glanced away from them out of shame.

"What have I done?" Yugi sobbed helplessly.


	23. Chapter 22

**A/N: **Yeah…hi. Not that I'm expecting any of my old readers of this story to return to it after all of this time, but here's another chapter. A book I read recently renewed my love for Egypt, which in turn reminded me of how much I cared for this series. So here I am, writing for this story again, even though I was convinced it was dead. Guess some things won't stay dead…*cough* Atem *cough*

Lame jokes aside, I hope you enjoy this. I hope it was worth the wait. I'm going to finish this, and I mean it this time. No long hiatus. Faster updates, I promise. It's almost over anyway. If you are still reading this, sorry for all of the time between chapters. If you're a new reader, I hope you're liking this story so far, and you're lucky to be coming at a time where I genuinely think I can finish it.

TL;DR, Enjoy, sorry for the wait, faster updates and I will finish this!

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Two**

Yugi sat on the floor with his knees pulled up to his chest. Tears sprung to his eyes as he saw the look on his partner's face in his mind's eye. He hugged his legs with his arms and rested his forehead on his knees in defeat.

"Yugi!"

Yugi heard the quick footfalls of his friends as they ran to his aid. He squeezed his eyes shut tight.

"Stay back!" he cried out. "It's not safe!"

They stopped several feet behind him. There was a long silence that passed between them, none of them sure what to do next.

"Come on, Yugi," Tristan pleaded. "Talk to us."

"No matter what I do, he's still a part of me," Yugi wept, his words slightly muffled. "None of you are safe around me, don't you see?"

"I think you have a serious mental condition here, Yugi," Kate offered tentatively. "It's not your fault."

"Hey!" Joey shouted as he raised a fist in the air angrily. "You callin' my best friend crazy?"

"Calm down Joey," Yugi mumbled. "She's right."

"Don't tell me to calm down! I'm not going to calm down!" Joey growled in irritation. "You're losing hope, Yuge, and I can't bear to see that!"

Yugi looked up at him. "But I sealed the Pharaoh in a sarcophagus! He's trapped, and it's all my fault!"

"Atem is here? Oh no…" Tristan looked down at the ground.

Yugi shook his head. "It's not what you think." He looked away. "It's a Shadow Game."

Joey flinched. "A Shadow Game? Ugh, I thought we were done with those!"

"This is way too much for one day," Kate muttered.

Joey gave her a sympathetic look. "Yeah, no kiddin'. First you're shot, then your soul is taken away, and now this…"

Yugi leaned back and fell into a laying position with his arms and legs spread out. He stared up at the ceiling and sighed. "Now do you understand?"

Tristan looked at his three other companions before turning his attention to Yugi. "Look, you can't lose hope. Without you, we have no hope of getting out of this place."

"He's right, man," Joey piped up. "I know this has all been hard on you, but maybe if we find a way out, we can find a way for you to beat this other side for good!"

Yugi sat up and looked at the blonde man. "You really think so?"

Joey nodded confidently. "I have this gut feeling that everything is going to be okay."

Yugi thought about it for a moment. He sighed deeply, but a smile tugged at the edges of his mouth. "You're right, guys. I can't lose hope. We're going to stop this Shadow Game!"

"Right!" Tristan exclaimed. "We're all in this together!"

"I don't know what help I'll be, but I'm with you, Yugi," Kate told him, her negativity slowly melting away.

"And thanks to blondie's drawing skills," Mr. Chase began, pointing at Joey, "the way to that marked door should be easy to follow."

"Okay!" Yugi cried out, his confidence returning. He stood up with the rest of his friends and set off on the path of eyes Joey drew. "I'm going to make sure Yami fails if it's the last thing I do!"

* * *

The sarcophagus was cold. Atem stared up at where the lid was, though he didn't actually see anything. It wasn't just cold. It was also pitch black, and he hadn't expected anything else.

His fingers curled into fists at his sides. He had never felt so helpless. Yami had tricked him and used Yugi against him. Atem had also never felt so furious at both his enemy _and _himself.

Bakura had been right, and he had refused to listen. He wouldn't be able to stop beating himself up about that.

Atem had failed. Yami was going to win, and Téa…

A tear slid down his cheek. Téa was going to die, and it was all his fault…

It was over.

Atem let out a shaky breath. "No…" he whispered. "I won't let it end like this…"

Atem kicked his legs out at the sarcophagus lid, but it didn't budge. He needed help, and he knew that there wasn't time to sit around and wait for it to come. He needed to _summon _help.

"Dark Magician…" Atem pleaded, "my old friend, come to my aid!"

Atem concentrated the power he still had within him on bringing his old friend and guardian to him, but when silence followed, he doubted his success. That doubt dissipated, however, when the lid of the sarcophagus was thrown off with ease.

Atem beamed up at his purple clad friend as the latter offered his Pharaoh a helping hand. The Dark Magician pulled Atem out of the sarcophagus as his light slowly began to return.

"You forget yourself, my Pharaoh," the Dark Magician commented solemnly. "You lack the courage and resilience that I grew so accustomed to in the old days."

"These are dark times for me, my friend. It brings joy to my heart to see you again," Atem replied. "And indeed, I have been troubled and subdued. But no longer! I have defeated greater evils than this!"

The door to the room they stood in opened. "Have you?" Bakura asked, leaning against the doorframe.

The Dark Magician glared at the thief and stepped in front of the Pharaoh protectively. "You," he snarled in disgust.

Bakura acted as if he was insulted. "Not happy to see old friends, are we?"

"It's alright," Atem interjected, stepping out from behind the spell caster. "Just this once, he and I are on the same side."

The Dark Magician relaxed and fell back to give Atem and Bakura the chance to speak.

"I'm afraid we're too late, Pharaoh," Bakura informed him. "Zorc and your friend's darker side have joined forces."

Atem closed his eyes to compose himself. "What do you suggest we do?"

Bakura stared at him. "This is your venue, not mine. Obviously we have to win this Shadow Game and destroy the Millennium Puzzle."

Atem frowned and opened his eyes. "Destroy it?"

Bakura nodded. "We must trap he and Zorc inside."

Atem smirked and chuckled. "You're right. This just might work."

Bakura's eyes gleamed mischievously. "In the meantime, why don't you send your magician friend to pay Yami a little visit?"

Bakura and Atem both looked back at the Dark Magician. The spell caster noted with unease that both the Pharaoh and the thief had the same determined expression on their faces.

* * *

Seto soared over his theme park in a daze. It was all so surreal. Mokuba clung to his back, laughing gleefully as if he was having the time of his life. Though Seto was just as amazed at the Blue-Eyes White Dragon statue below him as his little brother was, he was distracted by what had gained the dragon's loyalty.

"_Kisara forgive me!" _

Seto thought hard. He had come to believe a lot of things about the ancient Egyptian mess that he used to deny, but his own connection to the past had not been one of them. He didn't want to think about being mixed up in all of this as much as Yugi was, but the memories he now had floating around in his head were hard to ignore.

He felt as if he knew Kisara, but he knew that he didn't. He felt as if he was missing a part of himself without her around, but he knew that the notion was ridiculous. Kisara was a distant memory and nothing more.

"Isn't this awesome Seto?" Mokuba shouted above the roar of the wind around them. "One question, though…where are we going?"

Seto blinked. He hadn't thought of that. He looked down at the dragon, his thoughts leaving the confusion over Kisara behind momentarily. "Blue-Eyes, take me to where Yugi has hidden Téa!"

The dragon reacted instantly. It whipped around and headed for a different area of the park.

Seto laughed in relief. "I didn't think that'd actually work," he admitted.

Mokuba laughed as well and tightened his hold on his brother. "I doubt I'll ever understand any of this…"

Seto glanced at Mokuba over his shoulder. "It took me a long time as well, Mokuba. You should talk to Atem sometime. He loves to talk about things no one understands…"

Mokuba frowned. "Speaking of Atem, I didn't see him anywhere…"

Seto nodded as he turned back to the front. "I know. I hope he isn't in too much trouble."

Mokuba glared at the back of Kaiba's head. "You never did explain to me what's going on between him and Yugi."

Seto sighed. "I will, I promise, but _later_. Right now we have bigger things to worry about."

Mokuba relaxed a little. "I'll hold you to that, Seto."

Seto soon realized that the dragon's target was the Monster Horror building. He groaned. He didn't want to think about what tricks Yugi would have put in place there.

But Seto designed that building. That park was his. That was where Yugi had the disadvantage. How could Yugi possibly win when it was a home game for the Kaibas?

Seto smirked. "Blue-Eyes, land behind the building."

Mokuba looked up at him questioningly. "Why?"

Seto chuckled. "Yugi thinks he can scare me by leading me through a house where the horrors are likely real, or, at least, appear to be. He's sorely mistaken. Kaiba Land is ours, Mokuba, and we have one thing that Yugi didn't consider: a master key."

Mokuba beamed at him. "Way to go, bro!"

Seto grinned as the dragon touched down. "We're going in the back way. We're bypassing all of Yugi's little mind games."

Mokuba laughed. "It's like we're cheating."

Seto looked at his brother fondly. "Rules were meant to be broken."

Together they sprinted to the back door of the building. Seto pulled a key from his coat pocket and unlocked the door. He then replaced the key and withdrew his pistol. Mokuba looked at him warily but said nothing.

"Be on your guard, Mokuba, just in case Yugi is smarter than I suspect," Seto said sternly.

Mokuba nodded, and the two of them charged inside.

Téa yelped in surprise at the sudden noise. "Who's there? Yugi?"

Seto and Mokuba exchanged glances as the former put his gun away. "It's me, Mokuba, and Seto is here too," Mokuba replied in a small voice.

Téa straightened up. "Really? Oh gosh, it's so good to…uh, hear you guys!"

Seto moved forward and quickly undid her blindfold. "Do you have any idea where Yugi and Atem are?"

Téa shook her head. "No, I wish I did, I wish I could help…" She frowned. "Yugi told me this room was rigged to explode."

Seto arched an eyebrow and looked around. "There are no explosives in here," he assured her.

Téa glanced up at him. "So he was bluffing?"

Seto frowned. "There may be something we're not seeing."

Mokuba hugged himself. "All of this magic stuff makes nowhere seem safe," he whined.

Seto's brow creased with concern. "Mokuba, go wait outside…preferably on the Blue-Eyes."

Mokuba nodded enthusiastically and made himself scarce. Téa smiled at Seto's protectiveness. "Do you have your plane here?" she asked.

Seto laughed throatily. "Not exactly," he told her.

She was confused, but she didn't push it. He grasped her wrist in his hand firmly and looked into her frightened eyes. "Listen, I think this room is rigged to do _something_. I'm going to count to three, and then we're getting the hell out of here."

Téa closed her eyes fearfully. "Okay, I hear you. Let's do this."

"One," Seto began nervously, "two…three."

The next minute was a blur. Seto pulled Téa from her seat and yanked her towards the door, but just then, the entire building seemed to shake.

"Earthquake!" Téa exclaimed.

"I don't think so!" Seto replied tiredly as they continued to sprint for the exit. The walls began to crumble and break down just as they made it out. But they weren't safe yet, as a giant crack was beginning to form in the earth beneath where the building was standing.

"Hurry, Seto!" Mokuba screamed.

Seto yelled as he pushed himself to his fastest speed. He reached the dragon and climbed up its wing like a ramp, his hand still tightened around Téa's wrist. Soon enough, the dragon was taking off, allowing the exhausted CEO to assess the damage from the air.

The Monster Horror building was a wreck. The crack was massive, but not massive enough to damage any of the other attractions. Still, it would be expensive to fix, and this left Seto furious.

The dragon touched down near the entrance of the park. Mokuba and Téa hopped off and turned to speak to Seto, but the CEO had turned his back on them and was glaring at the sky.

"Um, Seto?" Mokuba tried.

"Fissure," Seto hissed. "Yugi used a damn Fissure trap card!"

"At least we're all okay!" Téa offered.

Seto turned on her. "Do you have any idea how much it will cost to fix that building or fill that hole?" He snarled angrily. "Yugi knows me well. He knew that even if I succeeded in saving you, I would be pissed off because he damaged my amusement park!"

Téa gaped at him. "Is that seriously why you're so angry? Not because of the fact that he almost killed you?"

Seto scoffed. "You do realize that many people have tried to kill me in the past, right? None of them have succeeded. It doesn't exactly phase me anymore."

Téa rolled her eyes. "Now _this _is the Kaiba I'm used to."

* * *

Yami had never felt more powerful. Combining with Zorc was the best decision he had ever made. Not only did he have more control over the shadows than before, but he was also cut off completely from Yugi. They could finally be two separate people. It was good news for both of them, really, but Yugi wouldn't get the chance to reap the benefits.

The dark and foggy passages of the Puzzle were crystal clear to Yami. He didn't need a light, he had become one with the Shadow King. This game was going to be a cinch, and then he would be rid of Téa for good. That only left the Pharaoh…

…and with Zorc, he didn't have to fear hesitation.

Yami had never felt more free.

But just as he considered his newfound freedom, he became aware of a boot slamming into his chest. He snarled as he landed on his back, slowly peeling himself off the ground.

Standing before him was the Dark Magician in all of his glory.

Yami was shocked to see him there. "So, he actually managed to pull himself out of his depression long enough to make a smart move," he observed with dismay. "Impressive, but not a game changer."

"He's free of the prison you constructed for him," the Dark Magician explained. "And he has every intention of winning this Shadow Game."

Yami stood tall. "Do you forget who I am? We once fought together, you used to listen to me just as well as you listened to _him_."

"Wrong," the Dark Magician growled as he struck his staff against the ground defiantly. "I serve my Pharaoh and his partner, and I can sense it, he wants you gone just as much as the Pharaoh does." He glared at Yami. "You are someone completely different."

"Right you are," Yami admitted.

"I sense an evil in you, an evil most familiar…" the Dark Magician added.

"Right again! Bravo, Mahad, you are on a roll today."

The Dark Magician narrowed his eyes. "All the more reason to stop you from succeeding."

"If you can," Yami spat testily. "We shall see."

The Dark Magician raised his staff and pointed it at Yami. "Dark Magic Attack!" He shouted, his voice echoing through the chambers of the Puzzle.

* * *

Yugi sighed contentedly. "Well guys, it looks like this may be it."

The others formed up behind him. "Finally, we can end this!" Joey said with relief. "Go on, Yuge, open the door!"

They all watched as Yugi scanned the door, its golden eye glowing as if it was inviting them inside. Without hesitation, Yugi wrenched the door open, only for his heart to sink into his stomach.

"I think there may be more to this after all," he said sadly.

Inside stood another Yugi. He was slightly taller, but just as pale. His mouth was curved slightly downward in a look of concentration while his eyes were more serious, containing the wisdom of millennia.

"The Puzzle wants to test me," Yugi explained knowingly. Yugi smiled at this version of his partner. "Hello, spirit."

"Aibou," the spirit greeted with the tilt of his head. "Are you ready?"

"I think so," Yugi replied determinedly.

Joey pulled at his hair. "Just how many of you guys are there in here, anyway? I'm gettin' so confused!"

"If I'm getting it right, that's not really the Pharaoh," Tristan told Joey. "It's just a projection of Yugi's memory of him."

"Right," Yugi agreed. "He is my final test."

* * *

**P.S. **I recently read through all of the other chapters again. There are so many edits I want to make…but that would be ridiculously time consuming. For now I should just concentrate on finishing the story already, am I right?


	24. Chapter 23

**A/N: **No, you aren't imagining things. I actually updated this story again within _about _a month. It would've been sooner, but I have been surprisingly busy. Almost done! I hope you enjoy the conclusion of the Shadow Game! I hope it's not anti-climactic.

I must say that even though Bakura isn't one of my favorite characters, he is really fun to write for.

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Three**

"Do you have any idea where we're going?"

Atem glanced over at his ally. "Not exactly," he admitted. "But since the Puzzle housed my spirit for thousands of years, I figure I can trust my gut on this."

Bakura nodded as they sprinted alongside one another. "Makes sense," he agreed. "He's most likely far ahead of us, though."

Atem smirked. "The Dark Magician will stall him, I'm not worried."

Bakura frowned. "We really could've used this determination a _while _ago."

Atem laughed. "Better late than never, right?"

Bakura chuckled as well. "Perhaps."

They continued running until they heard a voice booming through the Puzzle.

"Dark Magic Attack!" the Dark Magician's voice rang out loud and clear.

Atem and Bakura stopped and looked at each other as they felt the Puzzle shake from the magician's blast. With a curt nod from the both of them, they continued on their way.

* * *

Yugi faced his other half with a fierce confidence. The spirit gave his friend his infamous smirk. The others merely watched the two of them in awe.

"Why do I get the feeling I've been here before?" Tristan asked, scratching the back of his head as he surveyed their slowly changing surroundings.

"Yeah…wait!" Joey exclaimed. More of the picture appeared in front of them, causing everything to click in Joey's mind. Yugi and the Pharaoh both had Duel Disks on their arms. Standing in front of Yugi was the Silent Magician, while the spirit was completely exposed. "It's the Ceremonial Duel."

Yugi nodded. "That's right. I failed this test last time."

"What do you mean, Yuge? You won that duel, you beat the Pharaoh!" Joey argued, confused.

Yugi sighed. "That's true, Joey, but I proved myself too weak to let go. This time I will be strong."

"Well, Yugi? It's your move," the spirit prodded.

Yugi smiled. "You're my best friend, Pharaoh. Everything I did, Battle City, the game with Bakura…I fought for your memories and your happiness. But even after all of that, I thought that at the end of the day, it was me that needed you most of all. You gave me strength, Pharaoh. I was afraid of losing that."

The Pharaoh smiled at his partner affectionately. "All of the strength you need is inside of you. You have the heart of a warrior, but it is up to you to realize that for yourself."

Yugi wiped a tear from his eye. "As it turned out, you needed me more. You needed me to let you go. After five thousand years, you deserved to be at peace."

"You're a part of me, Yugi. Whether I am in your world or mine, we are connected by an unbreakable bond," the spirit said, beaming.

"This is nuts," Tristan commented.

"I heard that," Kate agreed breathlessly.

* * *

Yami's eyes opened slowly. The Dark Magician could really pack a punch. It didn't take long for him to realize that he was being held down…and that he was surrounded.

"It's about bloody time," Bakura growled impatiently.

Yami tried to lunge at the Thief King, Zorc's anger coursing through his being, but the Dark Magician's boot was planted firmly on his chest. Atem towered haughtily above him.

"Not feeling to confident now, are we?" Atem sneered.

Yami writhed beneath the Dark Magician's boot. "You can't keep me like this for long. I've got more power than you know, _partner_."

"You're not my partner, you impostor," Atem hissed. "And if this power you're referring to is Zorc…well, I've beaten him twice before, haven't I?"

"Not to mention he has me on his side this time," Bakura smirked. "Diabound isn't up for grabs, _Zorc_."

Yami laughed. "You think I want your pathetic Diabound? Once I get out of here, I will use Yugi and the Puzzle to pick up where I left off thousands of years ago!"

Atem looked taken aback. "The Items have been destroyed," he stated.

"If the Puzzle found its way out, chances are fate kept the others intact as well," Yami challenged.

Atem narrowed his eyes. "Well it doesn't matter," he said dismissively. "You're not leaving the Millennium Puzzle."

"What the hell are you going on about?" Yami snarled.

The Dark Magician pointed his staff at the wall. "Look for yourself," he commanded.

Yami looked over to see the marked door. He gasped. "You've found it," he said in a small voice, shocked.

"Did you really think you could outplay me here? I was trapped within these walls for thousands of years. You didn't consider that I might be familiar with it on some level?" Atem taunted with a grin.

Yami yelled out, catching the others off guard. "Let's duel, now, you two against me. Winner gets to go through."

Bakura scoffed. "That's a joke," he rolled his eyes. "You can stay here with our old friend Mahaad while _we _win the Shadow Game," he said, elbowing the Dark Magician. The Dark Magician gave the thief a look of distaste.

Atem ignored Bakura. "You're on," he agreed.

Bakura coughed. "Say what?" he asked indignantly. "Why?"

Atem looked over at him. "You'll have to trust me."

Bakura considered this for a moment before sighing in resignation. "I hope you know what you're doing, Pharaoh."

"Here are the rules. Each side gets to pick three monsters. You already have the Dark Magician, so each of you gets to pick one, no Egyptian Gods, and _no talking_. May the best man win!"

Atem and Bakura exchanged glances. They couldn't talk. They knew that. But as they watched each other's expressions, it was as if they each knew exactly what they had to do.

They both turned to the front, their choices made. Two Duel Monsters cards appeared in their hands.

Yami smirked as three cards appeared in his. "Well then, I'll start things off." He laughed. "You can't top this, Pharaoh. Alpha! Beta! Gamma! Come forth!"

The three magnet warriors appeared in front of him. Atem almost smiled because they reminded him so of Yugi, but the seriousness of the situation kept his expression passive.

"Now join together to form Valkyrion the Magna Warrior!" Yami shouted as the magnet warriors bonded themselves together.

"My warrior has 3500 attack points. With the Dark Magician, there's no way you can form anything more powerful!"

"Quit your yapping, because it's our turn," Bakura snapped. "Pharaohs first," Bakura said with mock politeness.

"Gladly," Atem replied, ignoring Bakura's tone. "I chose my Buster Blader!"

The card glowed and Buster Blader appeared alongside the Dark Magician. Atem grinned. "Now combine your strengths to become Dark Paladin!"

The two fused together to form the new warrior, but Yami merely laughed. "Perhaps this would've given me a scare in a normal duel, but your monster is still less powerful than mine! 3500 easily beats your paladin's 2900!"

"But you've still got me to worry about," Bakura reminded him.

Yami shook his head. "What monster could you possibly play that would turn this around?"

Bakura gave Yami a menacing grin as he turned his card around.

* * *

"It's alright, Yugi, make your attack," the spirit told his partner.

Yugi nodded. "I know it's going to be alright. You know why?" The Pharaoh tilted his head to the side curiously as he waited for Yugi to continue. "I've learned that loss is a part of life. It's hard, and it will take time for me to stop feeling the pain of losing my best friend, but I'm going to be okay." He pumped his fist into the air triumphantly. "This time when you leave, I know that I can be on my own! I'm stronger than I gave myself credit for, and I will always carry you in my heart!"

The Pharaoh's eyes shone, but he did not shed a tear. "Right!" he agreed emphatically.

Yugi squared his feet and pointed at his monster. "Silent Magician! Attack his life points directly!"

Joey and Tristan clapped each other on the back while Kate and her grandfather watched on in awe.

The Silent Magician attacked and the Pharaoh's life points dropped to zero. The room filled with light as the Eye of Udjat appeared on the wall opposite them, beckoning for them to leave the Puzzle.

"You did it Yugi!" Joey exclaimed.

Yugi smiled to himself. "Well Pharaoh, I'll be seeing you soon," he said as he started towards the Eye. "Come on guys!"

* * *

Yami gasped as Bakura's Diabound Kernel latched itself onto Valkyrion, lowering its attack points by 1800. "No way!" he screamed.

"Yes way!" Bakura shot back. "Diabound isn't looking so pathetic now, is he?"

"Now, Dark Paladin! Attack!" Atem commanded.

Yami fell onto his back as his Valkyrion disappeared. Just then, the eye on the door began to glow so brightly it was almost blinding for Atem and Bakura.

"Yugi did it!" Atem gasped. "He got there first!"

"You knew!" Yami said accusingly from the floor. "You agreed to this to distract me!"

Bakura nodded smugly. "Go," he told Atem. "I'll stay and make sure he can't follow."

Atem's eyes widened and he shook his head vehemently. "No, you're coming with me!"

Bakura laughed. "We're not friends, Pharaoh, you wouldn't want me to come with you, trust me." He turned his attention back to Yami, who was picking himself off the floor. "Besides, I have a serious score to settle."

Atem sighed and nodded. "Perhaps, one day, I can…"

Bakura rolled his eyes. "You're impossible. Just go you buffoon!"

Atem smirked and bolted through the door. He watched as Tristan was the last one of the others to pass through the Eye. He was right behind them as he sprinted towards the real world.

* * *

Atem's eyes shot open as he heard a crash. He sat upright and looked in the direction of the sound to see the Millennium Puzzle lying in pieces. He felt a pang of guilt as he thought of Bakura being trapped there, but his mind was quickly distracted as a helping hand came into view.

Atem followed the hand up to the eyes of its owner. His own eyes began to well up with happy tears. "Yugi? Is that you?"

His partner offered him a bashful smile. "The one and only," he replied, his smile twitching as if he ached to laugh at his own joke, but he couldn't bring himself to.

Atem accepted Yugi's hand and was hoisted to his feet. He looked into the amethyst colored eyes he had missed so horribly and noted that the spark of kindness and light had returned to them. With a disbelieving laugh, he threw his arms around Yugi's waist.

"I missed you so much," Atem said softly as he closed his eyes.

Yugi returned the embrace eagerly. "Same here," he whispered. He pulled away and looked at the Pharaoh sadly. "But how can you be so forgiving? I've done terrible things…" Tears slid down Yugi's cheeks.

Atem wiped Yugi's tears away with his sleeve. "Haven't we all? Did you forget how I betrayed your trust and played the Seal of Orichalcos? How I lost your soul because of my pride? Despite my inability to forgive myself, your trust and love weren't shaken." He gave Yugi a hard look. "In fact, I think the two situations are _very_ similar. We both gave into the darkness in our hearts."

Yugi sighed. "I guess we really are the same," he said with a solemn smile. "I didn't think there _was _darkness in my heart."

Atem placed a hand on Yugi's shoulder. "To be honest, I felt the same way. But you're _human, _Yugi, and no matter how good a person is, there is always darkness. Some people are just more susceptible to it than others."

Yugi nodded. "You're right." He looked over at the broken Puzzle. "Let's pick up the pieces, shall we?"

Atem raised an eyebrow. "Was that supposed to be a pun of some sort?"

Yugi giggled. "Nothing gets past you, Pharaoh."

After picking up the Puzzle, they walked out with their arms around each other's shoulders. Seto, Téa, Mokuba, and the Ishtar siblings watched in awe.

Téa ran forward and nearly tackled Yugi in a hug. Atem watched with a knowing smile on his face.

"Yugi, God it feels like it has been years," Téa wept into his chest.

Yugi stroked her hair. "That's because it _has_," he told her. "But I'm back, and I'm not going anywhere."

Téa pulled away and punched him in the arm playfully. "You better not! We have a lot of catching up to do!"

Yugi beamed at her. "You got that right!"

Seto took his place at Atem's side. "I don't know how you did it," he told him, "but I'm glad that he made it out in one piece."

Atem looked over at him. "I couldn't have done it without you," he said gratefully, "thank you."

Seto smiled. "You have a room at my mansion whenever you need it."

Atem nodded, knowing that was Seto's way of affirming their friendship. "You know, all of the souls that Yami took are free."

Seto looked away. "What are you trying to say?"

Atem nudged him with his elbow. "You know _exactly _what I'm saying."

Seto sighed and started to head towards the car. "Next stop, Domino City Hospital."

Atem turned back to look at Yugi and Téa, who were still smiling and talking as if they were the only two people on the planet. Atem grinned at the two of them and began to follow Seto.

Mokuba caught up with him, confused. "Aren't you and Téa…?"

"Yes and no," Atem replied. He laughed. "Yugi and I are the same after all." He looked over his shoulder at the pair of them as they realized that everyone else was leaving. He caught Téa's eye, saw what was written there, and his smile grew. "But mostly no."

"I don't get it," Mokuba muttered. "Honestly, I don't get any of it."

Atem turned his attention to the younger Kaiba brother. "I'm not sure I do either."

* * *

**A/N: **I liked to explain things I wrote more in the earlier chapters than I have in the later ones, but I'd like to explain this semi-conclusion to the Yugi/Téa/Atem love triangle, just in case it's a bit confusing. Basically, Atem realizes that Téa loves Yugi equally, if not more, than she loves him. He recognizes that she has yet to make up her mind on the matter, and until she figures out what she wants, he is perfectly happy with the two of them being together.

Besides, Atem wants Yugi's happiness far more than he wants Téa's love. So really, this is my way of saying that Yugi is the one who ends up with Téa.

I'm thinking only two, _maybe _three chapters left, and they're mostly fluffy goodness. Hard to believe! I took my sweet time finishing this, didn't I?

Please don't hate me for Bakura's fate…I think it's fitting _and _redeeming. Reviews are appreciated!


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